Report On Trends and Challenges For Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs) in Europe

Report
understanding user
(digital) skill needs in
WISEs
2022
www.bwiseproject.eu
Grant Agreement: 621509-EPP-1-2020-1-BE-EPPKA2-SSA-B
This publication has been co-funded by the European Commission. The European Commission support for the production
of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the
Agency and Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
KEY INFO PAGE
Key information:
Grant agreement n° 621509-EPP-1-2020-1-BE-EPPKA2-SSA-B

Deliverable D.2.1 and D2.2
Release version 1.0
Deliverable type: Report
Editor: Gianfranco Marocchi (Idee in Rete)
Authors: Camilla Baldini (IIR), Federica D’Alessandro (IIR – Politecnico di Torino), Nóra
Györke (EASPD), Paolo Landoni (IIR – Politecnico di Torino), Gianfranco Marocchi (IIR),
Anna Migliarese (EASPD), Sehida Pala (ENSIE), Martina Paterniti (ENSIE).
Gianfranco Marocchi, in addition to editing the entire report, wrote chapters 1, 2, 3.1,
3.2, 5.7, 6 and all ‘Recommendation for WP3’ paragraphs in chapter 4. He also co-
authored section 3.5.
Nóra Györke wrote sections 3.3, 3.4 and 4.3.
Paolo Landoni wrote chapter 9 (Annex 2) and co-authored section 6.1.4.
Anna Migliarese wrote sections 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6.
Sehida Pala wrote sections 4.1, 5.8, 5.9, 5.10, 5.11, 5.12 and 5.13 and co-authored
section 3.5.
Martina Paterniti co-authored section 3.5.
Camilla Baldini edited and improved the translation of all texts.
Internal reviewers: This report was developed thanks to the contributions and
revisions of many people working with the project partners. Specifically, the work of the
following is to be acknowledged:
• Lieven Bossuyt – Lichtwerk

• Ivan Carmona Rojo – Fundación ONCE
• Giulia Galera – Euricse
• Ana Juviño Prego – Fundación ONCE
• Lara Deckers – De Omslag
• Lisa Messely – Groep Gidts
• Ancuta Vamesu – RISE Romania
• Corine Van de Burgt – De Omslag
• Regita Zeila – SEAL
Graphic design: Studiorama
For more information, visit: https://www.bwiseproject.eu.
Acknowledgements:
Idee in Rete would like to thank the project coordinator, the entire partnership, the
researchers involved and all the people who actively participated in the conception and
realisation of the Report.
This report should be cited as follow:
Gianfranco Marocchi and al. (2022), Report understanding user (digital) skill needs in
WISEs B-WISE project. Brussels: https://www.bwiseproject.eu/en/results.
Project partners:
EASPD (coordinator), ENSIE, arbeit plus, Lichtwerk, Fundación ONCE, RES – Réseau
d’entreprises sociales, NASOR – National Association of the Socially Responsible
Employers, ACT Group, La fédération des entreprises d’insertion, RISE Romania, Ev Zin,
ŠENT, Idee in Rete, Social Entrepreneurship Association of Latvia, De Omslag,
Stowarzyszenie Współpracy Regionalnej, JKU-Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, CESUR,
Excellia, Faculty of Law in Zagreb University, AFPA, ADV Fundatia Alaturi de Voi,
Margarita, Cene Štupar, AIAS Bologna onlus, Samaritan Association of Latvia, ROC van
Amsterdam, CERTES, SCF – Scuola Centrale Formazione, EURICSE – European Research
Institute on Cooperatives and Social Enterprises.
THE B-WISE PROJECT
The B-WISE project targets the skills needs of Workers with Support Needs, their
supporters (such as their job coaches and trainers) and their managers. The project
also promotes the attractiveness of the WISEs sector as a career choice and raises
awareness on the importance of the use of digital technologies to support workers –
who are more at risk of being excluded from the labour market – in work placement.
To reach this goal and prepare WISEs to face future challenges, the project
implements the following actions:
1. Develops a report to provide an overview of the WISEs sector across Europe and
identify the skills needs in the sector.
2. Designs three training curricula to meet the skills gaps of workers in integration, their
supporters and their managers.
3. Makes those curricula a reality by testing them in 13 countries and validating them
through certification authorities.
4. Develops a European Strategy to continue addressing the skills needs in the WISEs
sector even after the end of the project.
5. Raises awareness to promote the WISEs sector as a career choice and on the
importance of the use of digital technologies to support people who are more at risk
of being excluded from the labour market in work placement.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS.............................................................................................. 6
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................... 11
1 THE WORKING METHOD .............................................................................. 16

1.1.1 Step 1 – Definition of working hypotheses ............................................................................................. 19
1.1.2 Step 2 – Validation of Phase 1 hypotheses ............................................................................................. 20
1.1.3 Step 3 – Training of surveyors ................................................................................................................... 21
1.1.4 Step 4 – Case studies ................................................................................................................................... 22
1.1.5 Step 5 – In-depth study on technology and digitalisation.................................................................... 23
1.1.6 Step 6 – Provisional drafting of the report .............................................................................................. 24
1.1.7 Step 7 – Sharing and improving the report ............................................................................................. 25
1.1.8 Step 8 – Delivery and presentation of deliverables ............................................................................... 25
1.1.9 Acronyms ....................................................................................................................................................... 25
2 T2.1 SCENARIOS: TYPES OF WISES .............................................................. 29

2.1 The perimeter of WISEs: common features ................................................................... 30
2.2 The model .............................................................................................................................. 32
2.2.1 Productive WISEs (PWs)............................................................................................................................... 35
2.2.2 Social WISEs (SWs) ........................................................................................................................................ 42
2.2.3 Training WISEs (TWs) ................................................................................................................................... 50
2.2.4 Comparative overview................................................................................................................................. 58
2.2.5 Usefulness of the model ............................................................................................................................. 67
2.3 The outcomes ....................................................................................................................... 68

2.3.1 Entrepreneurial aspects .............................................................................................................................. 69
2.3.2 Work integration........................................................................................................................................... 77
2.4 SWOT analysis: a transversal reading ............................................................................. 87

2.4.1 The aggregation of the SWOT by scenarios ....................................................................................... 88
2.4.2 Identification of prevailing items ............................................................................................................ 103
2.4.3 SWOT analysis: the items.......................................................................................................................... 105
3 T2.2 – PERSONAS: WHO WORKS IN THE WISES .......................................115

3.1 Enablers ............................................................................................................................... 116
3.1.1 The Founder ................................................................................................................................................ 117
3.1.2 The Social Enabler ...................................................................................................................................... 121
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3.1.3 The Almost Retired..................................................................................................................................... 126
3.1.4 The Tech Enabler ........................................................................................................................................ 130
3.1.5 The Beginner ............................................................................................................................................... 134
3.2 Supporters........................................................................................................................... 137

3.2.1 The Social Oriented .................................................................................................................................... 137
3.2.2 The Professionally Oriented ..................................................................................................................... 141
3.2.3 The Next Enablers ...................................................................................................................................... 145
3.3 Workers with Support Needs .......................................................................................... 149

3.3.1 The Safely Here ........................................................................................................................................... 149
3.3.2 The Soft-Unskilled ...................................................................................................................................... 154
3.3.3 The Growth-Oriented ................................................................................................................................ 159
3.3.4 The Revenant .............................................................................................................................................. 164
3.4 Additional profile for staff members ............................................................................. 169
4 COUNTRY REPORTS ......................................................................................171

4.1 Austria .................................................................................................................................. 171
4.1.1 Scenarios ...................................................................................................................................................... 171
4.1.2 Personas....................................................................................................................................................... 173
4.2 Belgium ................................................................................................................................ 177

4.2.1 Scenarios ...................................................................................................................................................... 177
4.2.2 Personas....................................................................................................................................................... 178
4.3 Bulgaria ................................................................................................................................ 182

4.3.1 Scenarios ...................................................................................................................................................... 182
4.3.2 Personas....................................................................................................................................................... 184
4.4 Croatia .................................................................................................................................. 185

4.4.1 Scenarios ...................................................................................................................................................... 185
4.4.2 Personas....................................................................................................................................................... 187
4.5 France ................................................................................................................................... 190

4.5.1 Scenarios ...................................................................................................................................................... 190
4.5.2 Personas....................................................................................................................................................... 191
4.6 Greece .................................................................................................................................. 192

4.6.1 Scenarios ...................................................................................................................................................... 192
4.6.2 Personas....................................................................................................................................................... 194
4.7 Italy........................................................................................................................................ 196

4.7.1 Scenarios ...................................................................................................................................................... 196
4.7.2 Personas....................................................................................................................................................... 198
4.8 Latvia .................................................................................................................................... 200

4.8.1 Scenarios ...................................................................................................................................................... 200
4.8.2 Personas....................................................................................................................................................... 202
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4.9 The Netherlands ................................................................................................................ 204
4.9.1 Scenarios ...................................................................................................................................................... 204
4.9.2 Personas....................................................................................................................................................... 206
4.10 Poland ................................................................................................................................ 209

4.10.1 Scenarios ................................................................................................................................................. 209
4.10.2 Personas .................................................................................................................................................. 210
4.11 Romania............................................................................................................................. 211

4.11.1 Scenarios ................................................................................................................................................. 211
4.11.2 Personas .................................................................................................................................................. 213
4.12 Slovenia.............................................................................................................................. 215

4.12.1 Scenarios ................................................................................................................................................. 215
4.12.2 Personas .................................................................................................................................................. 217
4.13 Spain ................................................................................................................................... 219

4.13.1 Scenarios ................................................................................................................................................. 219
4.13.2 Personas .................................................................................................................................................. 221
5 Conclusions ...................................................................................................223
5.1 The main outcomes........................................................................................................... 223
5.1.1 Soundness of the WISE system and support policies ......................................................................... 224
5.1.2 Productive WISEs, between ideal and ideology ................................................................................... 230
5.1.3 Social WISEs and Training WISEs: WISEs as a part of a Social Economy Group ............................ 233
5.1.4 Technologies ............................................................................................................................................... 235
5.2 Guidelines for WP3 (and policies) .................................................................................. 243

5.2.1 Strengthening skills: enablers and supporters .................................................................................... 244
5.2.2 Skills enhancement in WISEs ................................................................................................................... 245
5.2.3 Skills enhancement and policies ............................................................................................................. 246
6 Annex A: Case studies: summary table .....................................................250
7 Annex B: Report on the adoption and use of technologies by WISEs* 274

7.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 275
7.2 Results .................................................................................................................................. 278
7.2.1 Internal communication technologies ................................................................................................... 278
7.2.2 External communication and marketing technologies....................................................................... 281
7.2.3 Training and support ................................................................................................................................. 283
7.2.4 Administration and accounting ............................................................................................................... 288
7.2.5 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) ....................................................................................................... 290
7.2.6 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) ........................................................................................ 292
7.2.7 File and data storage ................................................................................................................................. 293
7.2.8 Technologies for products/services and production processes ....................................................... 295
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7.2.9 E-commerce................................................................................................................................................. 299
7.2.10 Assistive technologies........................................................................................................................... 300
7.2.11 Emerging technologies ......................................................................................................................... 304
7.3 Conclusions and future developments ......................................................................... 306

7.4 References ........................................................................................................................... 308
8 Annex C: The adoption and use of technologies by WISEs ....................310
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Lists of figures and tables
Figure 1 – Perimeter of WISEs ................................................................................................. 32

Figure 2 – WISEs general model ............................................................................................. 34
Figure 3 – SWOT Analysis ......................................................................................................... 88
Figure 4 – WISE systems and support policies .................................................................. 229
Figure 5 – Example of a Social Economy Group including some WISEs ...................... 235
Figure 6 – WISEs’ starvation circle ........................................................................................ 248
Table 1 – Acronyms ................................................................................................................... 26

Table 2 – Productive WISEs – Features ................................................................................. 37
Table 3 – Social WISEs – Features........................................................................................... 45
Table 4 – Training WISEs – Features ...................................................................................... 52
Table 5 – Social WISEs – comparative overview .................................................................. 58
Table 6 – Productive WISEs – SWOT analysis ...................................................................... 89
Table 7 – Social WISEs – SWOT analysis ................................................................................ 94
Table 8 – Training WISEs – SWOT analysis ........................................................................... 98
Table 9 – Items of SWOT analysis ........................................................................................ 103
Table 10 – National WISE ecosystems ................................................................................. 227
Table 11 – Characteristics of the cases analysed ............................................................. 275
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INTRODUCTION
How this report fits into the workflow of the B-WISE project
The B-WISE project aims to strengthen the skills of Work Integration Social Enterprises
(WISE), in particular in relation to the technological and digital sphere; to this end, this
project aims to develop a strategy to enhance the competence of Workers with Support
Needs (WSNs), their supporters and those, such as enablers, who are responsible for
creating a working environment capable of receiving and implementing influences
related to the potential of digital and other technologies. This project is led by a
partnership of 28 members from 13 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and
Spain.
In order to pursue the above-mentioned objective, the B-WISE project consists of eight
interconnected Work Packages, to which two transversal actions relating to project
11
management and coordination (WP9) and quality and evaluation (WP10) are added.
The project WPs are listed below:
● WP1 Research. State of Art

● WP2 BUILDING SCENARIOS AND PERSONAS
● WP3 Design of VET curricula meeting skills gaps
● WP4 Pilot Implementation of the curricula
● WP5 Skills recognition mechanisms
● WP6 Sectoral Skills Strategy (Blueprint) for WISEs sector
● WP7 Communication & Dissemination
● WP8 Long-term action plan and Sustainability
● WP9 Management & Coordination
● WP10 Quality assurance & Evaluation
This report collects and summarises the outcomes of WP2.
The WP2:
• follows WP1, in which the state of WISEs in the partner countries was outlined
through national analyses of secondary sources concerning the quantification of
WISEs, national policies, etc., and through a questionnaire administered to
workers, supporters and enablers. Regarding digital and technological
competence, this questionnaire explored the existing competences in WISEs in
detail, with reference to the three categories of actors mentioned above;
• precedes WP3, in which, based on the weaknesses found and the room for
improvement detected, the characteristics of the curricula are to be outlined, so
as to guarantee the strengthening of competences that is the central objective of
the project.
What, then, is the missing piece that, starting from the general framework outlined in
WP1, allows us to increase our knowledge to best contribute to the subsequent work
on curricula to be carried out in WP3?
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Scenarios and Personas
The answer contained in the B-WISE project framework starts from an assumption that
is as simple as it is fundamental: the objective of capacity-building cannot be
adequately achieved unless we are able to understand that:
• European WISEs, although possessing certain unifying traits, are different from
each other in their objectives, operational styles, organisation, size,
entrepreneurial orientation, etc.
• The people working in WISEs in various capacities (WSNs, supporters and
enablers) are diverse in terms of starting skill levels, life histories, investment in
learning, etc.
Following from this, in order to be effective, the definition of competence-building

pathways must be designed with reference to the different types of WISEs and the
different types of persons working in them. In other words, as is well highlighted in the
project that is presented, attention has to be paid to the creation of ‘scenarios’ (the
different types of WISEs) and ‘Personas’ (the different types of WSNs, supporters and
enablers), so as to ensure that training and learning respond to the different
competence needs.
Basically, the questions running through this report are: what skills-building action do
WISEs need based on their characteristics, the directions of their development, their
corporate culture and their strengths and weaknesses? What are the characteristics of
the workers (enablers, supporters, WSNs) to whom we would like to propose
competence-building pathways? Because, just to give a few examples, proposing a
digital skills enhancement process to a young and dynamic company that is planning to
develop in the technological sphere is different from doing so to a company that
considers itself settled and with no prospect of particular future change in sectors
where it operates without the use of technology; it is different to think of a training
process for a young person with a high level of schooling who has emerged from a
situation of drug addiction and for a person over 55 with a low level of schooling and
with demanding family responsibilities. It is possible to reinforce digital competences in
all the above-mentioned situations, but this must be done with different forms,
methods and timeframes; the knowledge gained in WP2 and reported in this report
should help to define them in the subsequent phases of the project.
13
Thus, if the approach of WP1 was aimed at outlining general frameworks, WP2 aims to
create typologies, thus trying to maximise 1) homogeneity within each type and 2)
differences between the characteristics of different types. This applies as much to
WISEs (scenarios) as to persons operating within them (Personas); and these
differences operate both between WISEs of different nations – in part due to legal
frameworks and cultural traditions – and within individual nations.
This is an ambitious objective, for which there are no established precedents. It is made
even more difficult by some contextual elements: to give just one example, the term
‘sheltered workshop’ may indicate different types of WISE depending on national
contexts (and, it only indicates WISEs in some cases, since in some countries this term
refers to organisations that are not involved in production and do not pay workers a
wage comparable to that of other workers), whereas WISEs under a different name
may in fact present very similar characteristics. The challenge is therefore to identify a
working method that allows the comparison of WISEs (and their operators) that act in
different contexts, have different legal forms, act in a wide variety of sectors of activity
and have different economic and development perspectives, and to group them
according to criteria that cut across all the above dimensions.
It is also necessary to properly balance the analytical accuracy of the model with a need
for simplicity and linearity, thus capturing a limited amount of essential data. It is
therefore a matter of reducing the infinite variability possible – the tens of thousands
of European WISEs and the hundreds of thousands of people working in them – into a
limited number of types from a few well-defined characteristics through a few
dimensions of analysis.
This approach, besides being central to the specific aims of the project, provides a
more general added value for the knowledge and understanding of European WISEs.
This was the starting point for organising the work of WP2.
How this report is organised

In accordance with the B-WISE design framework, this report includes two deliverables
centred respectively on Scenarios (and thus on the different types of WISEs – T2.1) and
on Personas (and thus on who works in WISEs – T2.2).
14
These two deliverables are included in the document as follows:
● This foreword, which defines the general objectives and characteristics of the
report;
● The chapter ‘The working method’, which describes and justifies the research
strategy, methodological choices, implementation in phases of WP2 and tools
used;
o The chapter ‘Scenarios: types of WISEs‘ (T2.1), which offers a general
description of the model adopted, based on three basic WISE types with a
plurality of intermediate types. After a description of the main aspects of
the model, we will describe the characteristics of the different types of WISE:
1) economic and entrepreneurial aspects 2) job placement aspects 3)
enterprise objectives (‘how they see themselves in 10 years’ time’) and 4)
the place of WISEs in relation to policies;
● The chapter ‘Personas. Who works in the WISEs’ (T2.2) offers a summary of the
classifications made at national level, divided into the three categories of workers,
supporters and enablers;
● In the subsequent chapter, summaries of the national reports are given; a link to
the complete form is available in the text;
● The concluding chapter, in addition to summarising what emerged in the previous
chapters, develops:
o the general policy indications from WP2;
o the specific guidance offered to WP3 in terms of competence-building
pathways.
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1 THE WORKING METHOD
1.1 The basic choices

The work of WP2 ran from March to October 2022. It involved the participation of the
entire partnership, which actively contributed to the work presented here.
Before describing the work carried out in an analytical manner, some methodological
premises must be set out that inspired the subsequent steps.
The first is that the cognitive strategy was based on the progressive deepening of the
contents, releasing the information gathered step by step. The remarks were discussed
each time with the partnership and then developed further. This was done in the
knowledge that the first documents shared with the partnership were necessarily
imprecise and that during the WP flow, adjustments would be made to improve and
strengthen the initial hypotheses. The metaphor we used is that of loading images in
the early days of the internet: first blurry and almost indistinguishable, then gradually
sharper. This makes knowledge a true collective construction shared by the whole
partnership. During this process, some elements produced in the initial stages were
retained and became part of the final report, while others were gradually modified
thanks to subsequent in-depth efforts that led to better elaboration of the concepts by
16
incorporating the criticisms and anomalies of previous formulations. Partners actively
contributed to this process, both by putting together material on their own national
situations and by offering feedback, including criticism, on the work that was being
presented, thus contributing to its reformulation.
The second method adopted, linked to the previous one, was to maintain (with the
minimum flexibility necessary in such a large partnership and in a complex project) the
timeline, even at the cost of sacrificing the completeness of the content in the first
phases. The B-WISE project has a very demanding structure, in which each phase is
important to the next one. A very accurate product that did not arrive in time to
support the WP3 efforts would be of little use. This meant accepting compromises: for
example, by taking note that for some partners it was impossible to carry out the
number of case studies initially planned by the agreed date; it was decided then to
reduce the number of case studies (paying more attention to their correct selection),
rather than to extend the time for fieldwork, which would have led to a delay in the
delivery of this report and which would have obliged the WP3 leaders to start their
work on the competence-building pathways without having the data from WP2.
Instead, it was decided to start working with the WP3 leaders as early as March and to
involve them in the work of WP2 as it was developed. The smaller amount of data may
have partially reduced the heterogeneity of the WISEs studied; however, it must be
considered that a study involving five to ten WISEs out of several hundred (or
thousands, in some countries) can only be exploratory in nature. The reduction in
heterogeneity may, however, have been mitigated by the expertise of the partners,
which, thanks to the set of tools used (focus, outcomes of WP1), also made additional
information regarding their own countries available to the WP leader.
The third major methodological choice was the adoption of a qualitative strategy,
based on understanding and interpretation. This choice stems from the fact that WP1
produced and is still producing a considerable amount of quantitative data, based on a
complex questionnaire administered in the fall of 2021. This gathered detailed
information on a plurality of organisational aspects of European WISEs (including those
related to technology and digitalisation). The knowledge gained from WP1 was
abundantly utilised in WP2 and also provides useful insights for the design of WP3, but
it would have been repetitive and unnecessary to reuse similar tools in WP2. We
therefore chose to work intensively with qualitative interviews, focus groups and
participant observation, asking the interviewers to first of all grasp the ‘climate’ within
17
the WISEs, to understand the nature and rules of the interactions. WP1 and WP2
express different yet complementary methodological choices and produce outcomes
that have to be read together by those who will lead WP3 and the subsequent phases.
Besides the methodological aspects outlined above, the complementarity between

WP1 and WP2 also concerns the substance of the work performed. Examining the WP1
materials available at the time (the first weeks of 2022) when WP2 was set up from WP1
country fiches, it emerged that:
● with respect to the categorisation of WISEs (scenarios), there was sufficient

evidence in WP1 to elaborate a first hypothesis, which would have required:
1. subsequent validation by the partnership;
2. some insights, particularly with regard to the development plans of WISEs:
not what they are today, but what they want to become in ten years’ time;
● with respect to the categorisation of people (workers, supporters, enablers)
operating in the WISE, it was found that the available elements of WP1 were not
sufficient and that it was therefore necessary to organise a specific cognitive effort,
dedicating a significant part of the resources of WP2 to this. This does not exclude
the possibility that subsequent elaborations resulting from WP1 (the outcomes of
the aforementioned questionnaires), made available in the summer of 2022 and
thus with a timeline contemporaneous to the drafting of this report, may be
included, together with the outcomes of this work, in the premises for the
realisation of the subsequent WP3.
On the basis of the above, it was therefore decided to:
1) elaborate an initial version of the typification of WISEs (Scenarios) on the basis of

the outcomes of WP1, integrating, developing and improving this product during
WP2 both through discussion with partners and by integrating existing
information;
2) devote the majority of WP2 resources to the collection of information useful for
the categorisation of those working in WISEs (Personas);
3) allocate a large portion of WP2 resources to the implementation of case studies,
based on open interviews and participant observation, with the aim of integrating
existing information on Scenarios and gathering information on Personas.
18
Finally, taking up and sharing an invitation from the partnership, it was decided to
structure a highly participative research model, resulting in a report in which both the
collective effort and the skills of all partners are reflected. The partners were not a
mere ‘labour force’ for the implementation of operational phases (e.g., interviews), but
contributed to each work phase thanks to their own knowledge and sensitivity; several
times during the course, the initial proposals of the WP2 leader were discussed and
redefined thanks to the work of the partnership. This aspect is dealt with in the next
section, which makes the contribution of the partners explicit.
1.2 The phases of WP2
With these premises, the work of WP2 consisted of eight phases that engaged the
phase leader and the entire partnership from March 2022 to October 2022 and are
summarised below.
1.2.1 Step 1 – Definition of working hypotheses
This phase was carried out by the WP2 leader IIR in liaison with the WP1 leader Euricse.
From the study of part of the work from WP1, specifically the Country fiches, a first
draft of a classification of European WISEs was derived and verified together with
Euricse, which constitutes the ‘Scenarios’ in which to design the actions to strengthen
competences.
At this stage, the first version of the model was hypothesised, as further detailed below,
which identifies the three ideal types of WISEs as Productive WISEs, Social WISEs and
Training WISEs (PW/SW/TW model or PSTW). This hypothesis was discussed in the first
instance with Euricse, which ascertained its validity, and was then taken as the starting
point for the subsequent phases of WP2. To support this modelling, a first version of
the ‘model table’ was produced: a battery of 23 items (eight items related to
entrepreneurial aspects, 12 items related to job placement, three items related to the
policy context in which WISEs operate) that represent the practical tool to classify a
WISE as a PW, SW or TW or as an intermediate model. This is an important step, as it
represents the first attempt to compare and classify WISEs regardless of their legal
19
form and the country in which they operate. This model is revised and corrected in
subsequent steps.
This first phase absorbed 0.5% of the total research resources of WP2.
1.2.2 Step 2 – Validation of Phase 1 hypotheses
The hypotheses of phase 1 were discussed with the entire partnership at a meeting
held on 7–8 March; this was done both through consultation and by testing the
usefulness of the model within individual national contexts. To this end, a whiteboard
was shared, in which each group of national partners placed the WISEs of the country
they represent within the model. This both produced interesting background
information and made it possible to bring out the points of the model that needed to
be modified and deepened.
After this first ‘live’ experimentation during the meeting, the partners were asked to
organise national focus groups in March/April 2022 in which they would place the
different types of WISEs in the proposed model and produce the corresponding report.
These national reports were then discussed during a meeting on 28 April.
The substantive outcomes of this phase are discussed in the following chapters; from a
methodological point of view, the proposed model represented a very useful scheme
for understanding and classifying WISEs in ten out of 13 countries, while in the other
cases additional reflection and some adaptations were necessary and included in
subsequent versions of the model. At this stage, some sectors of activity that are
particularly common in the different countries of the partnership were also identified,
on which a significant number of the case studies chose to focus (see step 4). This
made it possible to investigate the level of digitalisation and implementation of
technological solutions adopted by WISEs in relation to the technologies available in
these sectors (see step 5).
This phase involved the commitment of all partners and absorbed 9.3% of the total
research resources of WP2 (9.3% of which were committed to the WP leader, 90.7% to
the other partners).
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1.2.3 Step 3 – Training of surveyors
As mentioned in the previous pages, the main original contribution of WP2 is the
realisation of case studies. On 29 March 2022, a meeting was organised to train
interviewers, where the outline for the case studies was proposed and mock interviews
were carried out.
As a result of this work and thanks to the comments received, the WP leader proceeded
to 1) modify certain aspects of the initial outline and 2) disseminate a structured guide
on how to carry out the case study approximately one week after the meeting. This
guide includes:
● indications for the choice of the cases to be studied, taking into account, besides
the availability of WISEs, the sector of activity and the heterogeneity of the units
studied;
● guidance on how to approach the WISE studied, the general information to be
gathered and how to identify relevant contacts, starting with the first contact
(usually a WISE executive);
● specific guidance with respect to interviews and observation work. Concerning the
observation work, it was recommended that the interviewer should stay within the
WISE as much as possible, in order to gather information on the organisational
style and the relationships between people in addition to the interviews;
● an outline for the report on each WISE and the national summary report.
All these are attached to this document (Annex 3).
The number of WISEs on which to carry out the case studies was also allocated, with
seven case studies assigned to national partners with 72 days available for research
work and three case studies assigned to partners with a total of 30 days for research
work. Partners with fewer days were not directly involved in the case studies, although
they were asked to contribute with comments and to reread the results of the case
studies. For each case study, seven working days were allocated to the partners,
including any travel and the drafting of the report for each case.
21
This phase, which took place between April and the beginning of May 2022, involved
the commitment of all partners and absorbed 6.23% of the total research resources of
WP2 (14.5% of which were committed to the WP leader, 85.5% to the other partners).
1.2.4 Step 4 – Case studies
The case studies aimed to identify the elements still missing in delineating the
Scenarios (specifically, the directions of development that the WISE sees ahead) and to
identify the Personas operating in the WISEs.
The case studies involved the researcher staying in the WISE if possible, conducting
interviews and observing the organisational climate there.
Case studies include:
● an interview with one or more enablers in which they delve into some topics
related to WISEs; in this interview, the following points were covered, among
others:
o general information on the WISE was collected and a ‘model table’ was
compiled for each WISE;
o the subject of WISE development directions was explored;
o a WISE SWOT analysis was carried out;
o information on a number of elements relating to the use of technology (and
in particular digital technology) today and those envisaged for the future
was collected;
● some in-depth interviews with people working in the WISE:
o at least two interviews with enablers (if any);
o at least three interviews with supporters (if any);
o at least four interviews with WSNs (if any);
● observations of the everyday life of the WISE.
For each of these aspects, guides were provided to the interviewer.
The interview phase was based on an open interview methodology; the interviewee
was asked to situate his or her presence in the WISE within the course of his or her life
(past and future) and was invited to recount his or her everyday life; it was the
22
interviewer’s task to understand, among other things, how a competence-building
course fits within the biographical events and everyday life of the interviewees.
For each case study, a short report was written on the basis of a format developed by
the WP leader following discussion with the partnership. The partner from each
country with the largest number of days allocated to research also drafted a report for
its country, which also integrated the elements gathered during the focus group (phase
2). The country reports are integrated in summary form in this paper, while the
complete country reports and related case studies are available as hyperlinks in each
country’s paragraphs.
From mid-May to mid-July 2022, 73 case studies were carried out. In these case studies,
in addition to general information on WISEs, 518 interviews were conducted: 112 with
enablers, 157 with supporters and 249 with WSNs. This took up 55% of the resources of
WP2, 7.4% of which were used by the project leader and 92.6% by the other partners.
1.2.5 Step 5 – In-depth study on technology and digitalisation
One of the aspects already analysed in WP1 and further investigated in Phase 2
concerned the most widespread activity sectors in European WISEs; in Phase 4, this
information was enriched by the inclusion in the case studies of information on the use
of technologies and the degree of digitalisation in the WISEs studied. This information,
besides having a descriptive value, can be used to understand the extent to which
WISEs are technologically appropriate in comparison to other comparable companies.
In order to investigate this aspect, a management engineer1 was commissioned to
carry out an in-depth study on this issue, which is given in summary form within this
report (p. 174 ff.) and in full form as an annex [Annex B, p. 277 ff.]. This report includes
the table ‘Annex C: The adoption and use of technologies by WISEsanalysing the
different functions of the technologies for each of the cases studied.
1
Paolo Landoni, Associate Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship @ Politecnico di Torino.
Founder and coordinator SIM – Social Innovation Monitor (multi-university research team); Co-Director,
International Master in Industrial Management – IMIM (5 universities). Founder and past (first) Director,
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center @ Politecnico di Torino. Founder and coordinator SIT – Social
Innovation Teams (non-profit community).
23
The partners were instructed to focus the case studies as much as possible on certain
sectors2 that had emerged as particularly relevant in the previous phases. This was
aimed at facilitating comparisons between the use of technologies in WISEs and other
non-WISEs operating in the same sectors.
It should be noted that while it was easy to identify a relationship between the
technological adequacy of WISEs and the type of technological function considered
(e.g., internal communication, external communication, training, production, etc.), in
most cases it is difficult to estimate technological adequacy according to business
sector.
This phase was carried out between July and August 2022 and took up 1.7% of the WP2
resources dedicated to research. It was carried out entirely by the project leader using
the information produced in the previous phases.
1.2.6 Step 6 – Provisional drafting of the report
Phase 6 includes the provisional drafting of this report; in addition to the researchers
commissioned by the WP leader, researchers from ENSIE and EASPD collaborated on
this, as these two partners have a significant number of research days in WP2, but, due
to their transnational nature, they were not engaged in activities related to a national
specification like the other partners.
This phase took place between June and the beginning of September 2022 and
employed 8.1% of the WP2 resources dedicated to research, 11.1% of which were
committed to the WP leader, the remainder to the other partners named above.
2
The primary focus (at least half of the cases studied) was on the following three areas: 1) restaurants,
catering and food; 2) cleaning services; 3) assembly and packaging. The aim was also to concentrate on
the following other case studies: maintenance of green areas, agriculture, environmental services and
waste management, commercial activities and handicraft activities (e.g., carpentry, metal carpentry,
textile production, clothing production, laundry, printing and others). Obviously, especially in smaller
countries, this criterion was verified on the basis of the actual presence and availability of WISEs available
to be studied in these sectors.
24
1.2.7 Step 7 – Sharing and improving the report
This report was presented on 13 September in a meeting involving the entire

partnership; it was illustrated by means of slides in summary form and handed over to
the partners in extended form.
Partners were invited to verify the content of the report and, if possible, to discuss the
content of the report with national stakeholders and propose changes and additions to
the report. Review partners carried out editorial work on the proposals received and
worked with the WP leader to evaluate changes to the report.
This phase took place in September 2022 and involved the entire partnership,
committing 12.4% of the WP2 resources dedicated to research, 5.1% of which were
allocated to the WP2 leader and 94.9% allocated to the other partners.
1.2.8 Step 8 – Delivery and presentation of deliverables
To conclude, the WP2 leader and the other partners involved in the drafting of this
report collected the observations proposed by the partners in Phase 7, talked with the
partnership for any further details, and then proceeded to draft this report in final
form, presenting the work to the partnership.
This phase took place in October 2022 and committed 6.4% of the WP2 resources
dedicated to research, 16.9% of which were allocated to the WP2 leader.
1.2.9 Acronyms
Certain acronyms resulting from the work developed in WP1, specifically in Country
fiches, will be used extensively in the following chapters. Referring to the WP1 work for
a more extensive description of the legal forms assumed by WISEs in the different
countries, a list of the Country fiches with their acronyms is provided below.
In addition, the acronym WSNs will be used to indicate Workers with Support Needs
integrated in WISEs.
25
Table 1 – Acronyms
Country Acronyms Typology of WISE
SÖB Socio-economic enterprise

Austria
GBP Charitable employment project
BBE Agency for advisory and supervision
Collective customised jobs (Collectief
Belgium
maatwerk, MW), consisting of
MW
Maatwerkbedrijven, MWB and
Maatwerkafdelingen, MWA
LDE Proximity services (Lokale diensteneconomie)
EI Integration company (Entreprise d’Insertion)
Companies organising work customised to
ETA persons with disabilities (Entreprises de travail
adaptées)
Employment development initiatives in the
proximity social services sector (Initiatives de
IDESS
Développement de l’Emploi dans le secteur
des Services de proximité à finalité Sociale)
Social enterprise class A
Bulgaria
Social enterprise class A+
Specialised enterprise and cooperative of
persons with disabilities
Shelter employment centre
Association
Croatia
Social cooperative
Veterans’ social working cooperative
Limited liability company
Sheltered workshop
Integrative workshop
26
Entreprise d’insertion
France
Entreprise de travail temporaire d’insertion
Entreprise d’insertion par le travail indépendant
Entreprise adaptée
RQ Neighbourhood enterprises, regies de quartier
Employers’ organisations for work integration
GEIQ and training (groupements d’employeurs pour
l’insertion et la qualification)
Centres of adaptation to active life (centres
d’adaptation à la vie active)
KoiSPE Social cooperative of limited liability
Greece
KoinSEp Social cooperative enterprise of integration of
EntaxisEidikonOmadon special groups
KoinSEp Social cooperative enterprise of integration of
EntaxisEvalotonOmadon vulnerable groups
KoiSEn Social cooperative of inclusion

Women’s agricultural cooperative*
Italy B-type social cooperatives

Limited liability company with social enterprise
Latvia
status
Limited liability company without social
enterprise status
NGOs (association and foundation)
Association
The
Netherlands Foundation
Cooperative
Private company with limited liability
Combination of private company with limited
liability and foundation
ZPCh Supported employment enterprise
Poland
ZAZ Professional activity establishment
SS Social cooperative
27
Social insertion enterprise
Romania
De facto WISEs
Sheltered workshop
Company for people with disabilities
Slovenia
(Invalidska podjetja)
Employment center (Zaposlitveni centre)
Registered social enterprise
(Socialno podjetje)
Social initiative cooperative (Cooperativa de
Spain CIS iniciativa social)
Special employment centre
CEE
(Centro especial de empleo)
Employment integration enterprise
EI
(Empresa de inserción)
28
2 T2.1 SCENARIOS: TYPES OF WISES
Defining a strategy for capacity-building in WISEs, particularly, though not exclusively, in

the area of technology and specifically in relation to digitalisation, needs to be
contextualised with respect to what WISEs actually are. As it is easy to see, aside from
some unifying characteristics that define an organisation as a WISE, the European
landscape presents very different subjects. The different types of WISEs are, in the
terminology adopted by B-WISE, the scenarios within which the competence-building
action has to take place.
In this paper, the unifying characteristics are first recalled to define the boundaries of
WISEs and to set out which subjects are to be considered as such and which, although
having certain aspects in common with WISEs, are to be placed outside this perimeter.
Then, the rationale behind the identification of different models of WISEs is illustrated
and such models are described one by one in general terms. As is easy to imagine,
while in the analytical scheme the elements that distinguish one type of WISE from
another are highlighted, in the empirical analysis we may often find ambiguous
situations. This is not to be considered a failure in the construction of an ideal type,
whose function is not to represent reality, but to propose, through typification,
categories of analysis that allow us to better understand individual cases.
29
In the following paragraphs, the characteristics of the different types of WISE are
analysed with reference to the dimensions explored with the different research tools
used by the model tables on the outcomes of the case studies: the entrepreneurial
aspects, the work integration of WSNs, the relationship with policies and technologies.
The second part of this chapter provides brief summaries of the national situations,
placing each country’s WISEs within the model proposed earlier; extended national
reports, complete with documentation of the case studies, are available as links to each
country in the chapter ‘Country reports’, pp. 173 and ff.
2.1 The perimeter of WISEs: common features

Before analysing the different models of WISEs, it is necessary to delimit the field of
work and define what can be defined as a WISE and what cannot. The set of actions
that, in different ways, aim at the work integration of WSNs is very broad and it can be
difficult to analyse such different phenomena. The issue is made more complicated by
the extreme variety of legal forms, public policy approaches and cultural traditions in
Europe. While being aware of the provisional nature of this definition, WISEs were
considered to be those organisations that:
1. carry out a productive activity (e.g., a restaurant, a handicraft activity, a green

maintenance or cleaning service, a shop, etc.) to offer a job opportunity to
WSNs; the organisation has the specific aim of employing WSNs, also offering
activities to strengthen and qualifying WSNs;
2. produce a significant share of the resources necessary for the organisation’s
survival through its productive activity; as a general rule, it would be
appropriate for these resources to constitute the majority of the revenues;
3. hire most of the WSNs as paid workers according to collective agreements (and
therefore not as trainees, users, free of charge, with symbolic remuneration,
etc.) and, according to their health condition, the WSNs work such a number of
hours as to achieve at least partial economic autonomy.
This definition is quite selective with respect to the set of organisations in the social
economy (and beyond) that in various forms are sensitive to the issue of work
integration of WSNs.
30
For example, there may be organisations that carry out workshop activities (and are
therefore consistent with point 1), in which, however, the majority of the disadvantaged
people included are not employed (therefore they do not meet point 3), even if they
benefit from the social and training point of view from the activities carried out; and/or
the resources come not from the sale of the goods or services produced (e.g., catering,
recycling activities, etc.), but from fees paid to the organisation for various reasons
(payment of educational staff, fees for the integration of WSNs, fees proportional to the
opening hours of the activity, etc.) related to the social or training value of the activities
carried out (therefore they do not meet point 2).
There may be organisations that help disadvantaged people in their job search by
intermediating with companies potentially willing to hire them and thus actually
contribute to their employment, but which do not employ disadvantaged people
internally and are therefore not consistent with the definition of WISEs adopted here.
There may be organisations that provide vocational training and thus prepare
disadvantaged people for future employment, but they are not social enterprises
according to the definition adopted here.
Lastly, there are companies that adopt forms of social responsibility that lead them to
employ certain WSNs, but for whom this action is not an explicit and overriding
purpose, but a laudable form of concern for the communities where they operate.
Thus, the definition of a WISE identifies a well-defined and delimited entity and not the
set of entities that in various ways work to promote the employment of WSNs
generically.
31
Figure 1 – Perimeter of WISEs
As can be seen from these examples, whether an agency is recognised as a WISE or not
is not a value judgement, not even with specific reference to the issue of job placement:
referring to the previous examples, there may be training agencies and intermediary
agencies that do excellent work and help disadvantaged people find employment, but
they are not WISEs according to the definition adopted here.
2.2 The model

Having defined this aspect, it is now possible to enter into the substance of the
identification of the scenarios. Even from the reading of the Country fiches of WP1,
three types of WISEs seem to emerge, through which the model underlying the
subsequent reasoning is constructed.
Before delving into the distinguishing features, it should be noted that all three types of
WISEs are to all intents and purposes WISEs and thus share the unifying features of the
paragraph above: they have an explicit purpose of work integration, they carry out
productive activities that are the predominant source of income and they employ WSNs
by remunerating them in a non-symbolic way, paying them a wage comparable to that
of other workers. It is wrong to consider one type of WISE ‘more WISE’ than another.
Further, all types of WISEs are exposed, each in a different way, to certain risks of falling
32
outside the perimeter of WISEs if they evolve in a way that differs from the three
characteristics mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Again, it should be noted that the types of WISEs outlined below are independent of
their legal forms: there may be WISEs with the same legal form that belong to different
models and WISEs with different legal forms that are classifiable in the same model;
this independence of legal form is valuable in order to be able to compare
organisations operating within national legal systems that are also very different from
each other. The same can be said with reference to denominations, even those that do
not coincide with specific legal forms; the most obvious case is that of ‘sheltered
workshops’, which, on the basis of the different evolutions that have occurred in some
of the European countries where this form is present, have at least in some countries
taken on characteristics that make them WISEs (while in other cases they remain
structures that cannot be assimilated to WISEs and are thus not the subject of this
analysis).
The models presented below aim at identifying – in coherence with the approach
leading to the definition of scenarios – subsets of WISEs that are united by a plurality of
different elements: entrepreneurial, relating to work integration practices, policy
positioning, enterprise culture, etc. It is not a single characteristic that identifies a type
of WISE, but the convergence of several interrelated characteristics that may present
themselves in a more or less marked way. Similarly, there may be intermediate types
and there may be cases where the definition of WISEs is ‘borderline’ and with respect to
which it is advisable to develop ad hoc reasoning as to whether to include them in the
model or not.
That said, the three basic scenarios considered are:
● Productive WISEs (PWs)

● Social WISEs (SWs)
● Training WISEs (TWs).
The basic traits are highlighted in the diagram, while in the following paragraphs these
three scenarios are described in detail.
33
Figure 2 – WISEs general model
It should also be noted that a correct understanding of the nature of a WISE often
requires considering it within a ‘group logic’, as WISEs are often part of collective
organisational entities, variously named and structured according to national
regulations; for example, a WISE that manages a shop where some WSNs are employed
is part of a larger group, driven by a single or highly integrated management centre,
which includes various welfare activities (care, education, listening centres, etc.),
cultural activities, employment services, etc. Sometimes this integration of several
organisational units may also include explicit economic flows (one unit of the group
economically supports activities that are economically weaker, but which the group
considers socially significant) or implicit flows (those who work in some units of the
group are actually paid by another unit). In these cases, it is correct to analyse the WISE
not as an entity in its own right but as part of a strongly integrated group of
organisations, which expresses common and shared objectives, one of which is the
work integration of WSNs.
34
2.2.1 Productive WISEs (PWs)
These are WISEs that are strongly production-

oriented; their sustainability depends exclusively or
almost exclusively on the sale of goods and services
on the market, where they compete with other
enterprises, both WISEs and, above all, non-WISEs. In
some cases, they reach significant economic size
(some millions of euros), employ hundreds of people
and become significant entrepreneurial actors in the
territory in which they operate. The larger units make
significant investments in production facilities,
vehicles, work tools, etc. Some equip themselves with state-of-the-art technologies in
their sector and integrate significant digital aspects in their production cycle. A good
part of WSNs may not be able to develop significant professional skills given their
starting conditions, but nevertheless WISEs as far as possible include them in
production cycles that integrate significant technological and digital elements,
compatible with the market sector in which they operate. The sectors of activity are
diverse, and in larger WISEs especially they concern areas that tend to be team-based,
employing a significant number of people: cleaning, green maintenance, environmental
services such as waste sorting and recycling, craft and industrial production, civil
maintenance, construction, etc.
WSNs are employed and remunerated according to employment contracts, with the
explicit objective that the salary leads to economic independence; unhired WSNs (e.g.,
trainees, interns, etc.) are present to the same extent as for enterprises following
national regulation. Where the legal form allows it (e.g., cooperatives), WSNs are/can
also be members of WISEs. The enterprise culture is strongly oriented to the
achievement of the economic autonomy of the WSN: the work and the consequent
remuneration are not conceived as a mere ‘gratification’ connected to a path of social
integration but as a tool of effective personal autonomy, which allows the WSNs to no
longer perceive him/herself as a service user, instead seeing himself/herself as a
person able to live from his/her work and to plan their life thanks to this (finding and
maintaining a house, a vehicle, starting a family, etc.).
35
There are also aspects that depend on the funding and incentive policies envisaged at
national level: where there are significant incentive policies available, including full or
partial public support of those dedicated to work integration (or even in the absence of
such support, in a limited number of excellent cases), these WISEs ensure significant
support for work integration programmes, primarily with the presence of supporters.
In cases where such public support is lacking (and with the exception of just a few
excellent cases in many countries), the WISEs try as far as possible to ensure certain
forms of support, which often, however, given the resources available, take the form of
the presence of ‘non-disadvantaged work colleagues’ (or ex-disadvantaged) who
express a personal willingness to listen to and support WSNs.
Intervention is focused on employment and (again except for in some excellent cases)
there are no structured interventions addressing other needs of the WSNs (housing,
social assistance, educational interventions, etc.).
There are both WISEs oriented towards keeping the WSNs temporarily at the WISE and
then placing them in other enterprises and WISEs where the WSNs remain permanently
(unless individual choices or situations lead to his/her exit). Generally, this second
solution appears to be more widespread, even if this depends in part on the type of
disadvantage and public support policies. The first solution is obviously more costly for
the WISE, because it requires replacing people who have accumulated skills and
experience to ‘start again’ with new WSNs. This can take place without public support
policies in only a few best-practice scenarios.
The type of disadvantage of the persons included depends on various factors, such as
the mission of the company and, sometimes, specific regulations, which envisage
focusing on a particular type of disadvantage (e.g., persons with disabilities). In the
absence of such situations, the type of disadvantage tends to be mixed, trying to make
work integration and production aspects compatible. There are, in some cases, WISEs
that, due to exposure to tough competition and the subsequent lack of resources, tend
to choose ‘light disadvantaged’, crowding out people with severe disadvantages or to
reduce supporters’ working hours.
36
Table 2 – Productive WISEs – Features
It derives its resources Income

It derives resources from
from the sale of goods
the recognition of
and services on the
welfare, training and
market to individuals, It is one of the most placement activities by
enterprises and public characteristic aspects of these public authorities.
authorities. WISEs.
Turnover
Generally, low turnover Generally, large turnover

(<€100K). There are different situations, (several million €).
but some large units are
present.
Profitability and
sustainability
Many companies with
Significant profits. losses that put their
There are different situations, continuity at risk.
but there are some units that
make significant profits.
Investments
They make significant They do not make

investments. significant investments.
The enterprise culture leads
these WISEs to invest.
37
Technologies
Advanced technological Minimal technological

equipment. The enterprise culture leads equipment.
these WISEs to look for
appropriate technologies.
Workers’ qualifications
Generic workers’
Significant qualifications.
qualifications.
It depends on sector of
activity.
Competitors
Main competitors are Main competitors are

other WISEs. non-WISE companies.
In general, they operate on the
open market.
Examples of most frequent

areas of activity
Cleaning, green maintenance,

waste collection and other
environmental services, craft
and industrial production, civil
maintenance, construction,
catering.
38
Direct and indirect public
Direct and indirect public support covers all costs
(or, at least, external) Absence of direct and
support, related to WSN indirect public (or, at
integration, covers all It depends on national least, external) support.
costs. legislation; the absence of
public support prevails.
Is there anyone paid for

working besides WSNs
Supporters are thanks to public support?
No public support
remunerated explicitly by
explicitly remunerating
public or by others’
supporters.
external contributions. It depends on national
legislation; the absence of
public support prevails.
Reserved public
Turnover entirely derived procurement
from public contracts
There are no public
(e.g., for cleaning services
contracts reserved for
on public buildings, It depends on the national WISEs.
maintenance, recycling) legislation. In most cases, this
reserved for WISEs. institution appears to be
uncommon.
Disadvantaged employment
status Many disadvantaged
All disadvantaged people people in WISEs are not
in WISEs are employed employed (e.g.,
and paid. It is one of the most traineeships,
characteristic aspects of these ergotherapy, etc.).
WISEs.
39
WSNs’ remuneration
A proportion of WSNs
WSNs receive ordinary receive
contractual pay. It is one of the most minimum/symbolic
characteristic aspects of these wages.
WISEs.
Percentage of WSNs
The great majority (>67%) A minimal proportion of

of workers are workers are
In part, it depends on the
disadvantaged. disadvantaged (<15%).
degree of production support
provided.
Temporary or permanent
placement
Disadvantaged people
WSNs are in the WISE
are in the WISE
temporarily. There are different situations, permanently.
although the solution of
permanent integration seems
to prevail.
Work and social integration
The only institutional Social aspects (housing,

purpose of the WISE is With the exception of a inclusion, care, etc.) are
related to work number of excellent cases, central to the institutional
integration. attention to non-work aspects scope of the WISE.
is left to the informal
availability of operators.
40
Structured specific Specific training activities
training activities (e.g., dedicated to WSNs There are no specific
professional training) for training activities for
WSNs, leading to training WSNs.
certification. It is generally absent.
Placement activities on open

The WISE provides labour market (in non-WISE
placement activities and enterprises) No structured placement
is recognised as
activities.
employment service
provider.
It is generally absent.
Type of disadvantage
People with specific It is aimed at all people
vulnerabilities who have difficulties
(disabilities, addictions, entering the labour
It depends on national
prisoners, etc.). market.
regulations and traditions.
Type of disadvantage (detail)
Institutional reference
With respect to Public
Administration - PA, they With respect to PA, they
relate to employment relate to welfare services.
services.
41
Supporter presence
These WISEs try hard to

There are operators with There are no operators
sustain the presence of
the specific task of with the specific task of
supporters, but where this is
supporters. supporters.
not supported by specific
funding (except in exemplary
cases) it is left to the goodwill
and willingness of people.
Structuring of supporters
High structuring of tasks These WISEs try hard to Low structuring of tasks
related to work support supporters, but where related to work
integration. this is not sustained by specific integration.
funding (except in exemplary
cases) it is left to the goodwill
and willingness of people.
2.2.2 Social WISEs (SWs)
Social WISEs generally originate within organisations that

aim to achieve a range of different interventions (e.g.,
educational and care provision, social inclusion, etc.), related
in a broad sense to the area of welfare, benefitting groups
with specific disadvantages: e.g., people with intellectual
disabilities, people with mental health problems, homeless
people, single women or man with children, female and male
victims of violence, etc. As part of the broader intervention
targeting people, SWs activate pathways aimed at employment, since the employment
sphere is considered a decisive aspect of the well-being of the users.
42
Some of these activities initially originated with the aim of occupational therapy, seeing
employment in para-productive activities as a benefit for the users, who were
sometimes encouraged in their efforts through small compensations. These
compensations were not framed as forms of actual remuneration, but for their
educational and symbolic value as incentives to strive to improve one’s abilities.
In some cases – those of interest for this report – the activities described above have,
however, evolved into productive activities, capable of generating revenue through the
sale of goods or services and consequently able to produce resources to ensure non-
symbolic remuneration for the WSNs. These are Social WISEs.
If the original social vocation continues to be implemented within the WISE, revenues
for productive activities and remunerations for welfare activities are co-present; and
paid workers and users of services with symbolic remuneration coexist. However, more
frequently the social vocation is implemented within a ‘group logic’: in other words, a
WISE is set up as a spin-off of an organisation with a social vocation; the WISE remains
linked to the parent organisation but develops the aspect of work integration in a more
specific way. In some cases, the parent organisation economically supports the WISE
either with a view to taking charge of the initial investment or to constantly support
these activities, as they are functional to the broader social integration project carried
out by the parent organisation; this support may be direct, through economic transfers,
or indirect, e.g., by taking charge of part of the coordination staff or by making
investments (e.g., purchase of a building) for goods that are then actually used by the
WISE.
In some WISEs, the ‘social’ origin belongs to the remote history of the organisation and
today the WISE can be framed as a Productive WISE; in others, although fully within the
WISE perimeter (a significant share of revenues is derived from the sale of goods and
services and a significant share of workers are remunerated in a way that is not merely
symbolic), there features that link it to the Social WISE model described here remain
evident.
In these cases, the economic equilibrium is ensured by a combination of resources

drawn from the market and resources given to the WISE in return for the social work
performed. These resources may come directly from the public administration (e.g., in
the form of fees for the integration of certain users in productive activities) or from a
43
parent organisation. There can be cases of coexistence of regularly paid WSNs and of
disadvantaged people taking part in WISE activities as users; or, in other cases, there
can be remuneration policies that offer minimum compensations that, even if not
sufficient for the autonomy of those that receive them, have a strong symbolic value
because they make clear how the disadvantaged person can be to all intents and
purposes an income producer – even if said income is minimal – and not just a user.
However, it must be considered that national legislations often provide for economic
transfers for the benefit of certain categories of WSNs (e.g., persons with disabilities).
Therefore, income must be considered in these cases as supplementary to the benefits
received.
These WISEs include people with different types of disadvantages. This can include
people with severe disabilities, e.g., people with intellectual deficits, psychiatric patients
or people coming from paths of extreme exclusion (e.g., homeless people). In other
cases, the type of disadvantage is less marked in terms of reduced working capacity
(e.g., single women, female victims of violence), but the social value connected with
inclusion in an occupational activity is nevertheless strong. Especially in cases of more
severe disadvantage, WSNs remain permanently in the WISE.
SWs can be active in various fields of activity such as catering and food workshops,
agriculture, assembly or textile workshops, tailoring, tourist reception, commercial
businesses, etc. There are WISEs in which the activity is characterised by its ‘workshop’
aspect, meaning the possibility of working in a relatively protected context, setting
production times and methods that are consistent with the characteristics of the
people involved. The workshop context also facilitates the work of the supporters, who
can operate with the WSNs nearby and enhances the group dimension. In other
instances, WISEs specifically chose an activity with public contact (e.g., a shop) for the
‘political’ value of this choice in combating prejudices: this offers a concrete
demonstration that even people generally considered incapable of working can instead
make quality products, thus boosting a transformational change that may lead to the
building of more cohesive societies.
The level of technology use is generally moderate.
44
In these WISEs, the work of the supporters is central and generally well structured; the
WISE therefore finds resources that allow supporters to perform their task without
being totally absorbed by production.
Table 3 – Social WISEs – Features

Income
It derives its resources It derives resources
from the sale of goods and from the recognition of
services on the market to Sustainability comes both welfare, training and
individuals, enterprises from the sale of goods and placement activities by
and public authorities. services and from other public authorities.
sources related to social work.
Turnover
Generally, large
Generally, low turnover
turnover (several
(<€100K).
Generally, these are small- million €).
scale activities.
Profitability and
sustainability
Many companies with
Generally, these are activities continuity at risk.
that achieve a minimum
economic balance.
Investments
They do not make

They make significant
significant
investments. There are different situations; investments.
it is still not a qualifying point
for these WISEs.
45
Technologies

equipment. There are different situations; equipment.
it is still not a qualifying point
for these WISEs.
Generic workers’
qualification.
Depends on sector of activity.
Competitors

Production activity takes place
on the open market.

areas of activity
Catering and food workshops,

agriculture, assembly or textile
workshops, tailoring, tourist
reception, shops.

support covers all costs
Absence of direct and
(or, at least, external)
indirect public (or, at
support, related to WSN
It depends on national least, external)
integration, covers all
regulations; support from a support.
costs.
parent company within a
group logic is widespread.
46
working besides WSNs
thanks to public support?
Supporters are
No public support
remunerated explicitly by
explicitly remunerating
public or by others’ It depends on national supporters.
external contributions. regulations; however, indirect
support from a parent
company within group logic
should also be considered.
Reserved public
Turnover entirely derived procurement
from public contracts (e.g.,
There are no public
for cleaning services on
contracts reserved for
public buildings, It depends on the national WISEs.
maintenance, recycling) legislation. In most cases, this
reserved for WISEs. institution appears to be
uncommon.
status
Many disadvantaged
All disadvantaged people people in WISEs not
The majority of the
in WISEs are employed and employed (e.g.,
disadvantaged are workers,
paid. traineeships,
but there is a certain ergotherapy, etc.).
proportion of users in the
organisation or in related
bodies.
47
The value of remunerating
contractual pay. minimum/symbolic
people is recognised, although wages.
often they receive minimal
remuneration.
Percentage of WSNs
The great majority (>67%) A minimal proportion

of workers are of workers are
Most of the workers are
disadvantaged. disadvantaged (<15%).
disadvantaged; there are only
a few supporters.
placement
are in the WISE
temporarily. Often these WISEs place permanently.
people with severely impaired
work abilities, who are difficult
to place outside.
Social aspects
The only institutional
(housing, inclusion,
purpose of the WISE is It is a characteristic aspect of care, etc.) are central
related to work this type of WISE. The care of to the institutional
integration. social aspects can be done by scope of the WISE.
the WISE itself or within group
logic.
48
Specific training activities
dedicated to WSNs
Structured specific training
There are no specific
activities (e.g., professional
training activities for
training) for WSNs, leading
They are present if they are WSNs.
to training certification.
part of the social integration
process.

The WISE provides labour market (in non-WISE
placement activities and is enterprises) No structured
recognised as employment placement activities.
service provider.
They are generally absent.
People with specific It is aimed at all people
vulnerabilities (disabilities, who have difficulties
addictions, imprisonment, entering the labour
etc.). market.
Disability, mental health,

extreme poverty; in some
cases, other target groups for
social intervention.
49
With respect to PA, they With respect to PA,

relate to employment Generally, with welfare they relate to welfare
services. services, but it depends on services.
national regulations and
traditions.
Supporter presence
There are operators with There are no operators
the specific task of with the specific task of
supporters. This is a defining aspect of supporters.
these WISEs.
Structuring supporters
High structuring of tasks Low structuring of
related to work tasks related to work
integration. This is a defining aspect of integration.
these WISEs.
2.2.3 Training WISEs (TWs)
Training WISEs arise from the evolution of organisations that

carry out training activities and have developed a specific
focus on dealing with vulnerable groups, e.g., NEETs or
persons with disabilities. These are organisations that in some
cases have reached a significant size in terms of both persons
trained and equipment. At a certain point in their history,
these organisations felt it was important to complement their
training offerings with the implementation of productive
activities in which trainees or newly trained persons could directly experience the
rhythms and requirements of a real work context.
50
This has given rise to supply units that sell goods and services to customers and, in
doing so, derive a not inconsiderable part of their sustainability. Although not
widespread in most of the countries considered, these cases are of great interest
because they are characterised by modest economic values.
As in SWs, this has frequently given rise to WISEs that maintain strong
interrelationships with a parent organisation, which contributes directly or indirectly to
their sustainability, e.g., by contributing to investments in production tools or by
bearing the costs of personnel working between parent and WISE.
The sectors of activity may be varied, although the catering and food production sector
seems more common than others.
Sometimes business activities remain a mere by-product of the main training activity
and have minimal entrepreneurial dimensions; in other cases, they have evolved over
time, becoming true Training WISEs.
These WISEs, in keeping with their origins, are structured to train people with a view to
their subsequent placement into the ordinary labour market and thus differ from other
WISEs in several characteristic features.
First, training activities are not occasional and episodic, nor limited to the ‘on-the-job
training’ that characterises most WISEs but are a fundamental part of the integration
process. Sometimes, a job placement activity (in non-WISE enterprises) completes a
programme that foresees insertion in structured training activities, preceding and/or
contemporaneous with production activities.
Second, the WISE or another entity of the group to which it belongs has structured
services aimed at facilitating subsequent placements in non-WISE companies or, in any
case, contacts with companies in the area to which the trained persons are offered with
a view to considering subsequent employment. These organisations, in fact, generally
consider themselves not as the final landing place for WSNs, but as a ‘bridge’ towards
subsequent placements.
Hence, the third distinguishing feature: the presence of WSNs is generally quite short
(sometimes quantifiable in months, sometimes in a few years) and almost never
permanent. This desired goal obviously requires, in addition to training and support by
51
the WISE, that the WSN is in a situation where he/she can significantly improve his/her
skills, so that he/she can aspire, after a period in the WISE, to employment in a non-
WISE enterprise.
The status of the persons employed can in fact be quite ‘elastic’: especially where the
periods of stay are short, even if the activities carried out consist in selling goods and
services on the market, persons employed (possibly with specific contracts dedicated to
those entering the world of work) and persons with a status linked to the training
phase (e.g., traineeships) may coexist.
Table 4 – Training WISEs – Features

Income
from the sale of goods from the recognition
and services on the of welfare, training
Sustainability comes both from
market to individuals, and placement
the sale of goods and services and
enterprises and public activities by public
from other sources related to
authorities. authorities.
educational work.
Turnover
Generally, large
turnover (several
(<€100K).
Generally, these are small-scale million €).
activities.
Profitability and sustainability
Many companies with

Generally, these are activities that continuity at risk.
only achieve economic equilibrium
in the particular context of TWs.
52
Investments
They do not make

significant
investments. The training activity carried out as investments.
a group leads to substantial
investments in production tools.
Technologies

equipment. Investment in technology is equipment.
stimulated by the need to operate
with appropriate machinery.
Generic workers’
qualifications.
Workers’ qualifications are the
result of training activities.
Competitors

Production activity takes place on
the open market.

areas of activity
Catering and food workshops.
53
support covers all costs
Absence of direct and
(or, at least, external)
indirect public (or, at
support, related to WSN
It depends on national least, external)
integration, covers all
regulations; support from a parent support.
costs.
company within a group logic is
widespread.

working besides WSNs thanks to
public support?
Supporters are No public support
remunerated explicitly by explicitly
public or by others’ remunerating
Depends on national regulations;
external contributions. supporters.
however, indirect support from a
parent company within group logic
should also be considered.
Reserved public procurement

Turnover entirely derived
from public contracts
There are no public
(e.g., for cleaning services
It depends on the national contracts reserved for
on public buildings,
legislation. In most cases, this WISEs.
maintenance, recycling)
institution appears to be
reserved for WISEs.
uncommon.
status Many disadvantaged
All disadvantaged people people in WISEs not
in WISEs are employed employed (e.g.,
and paid. Situations are often encountered traineeships,
that push these companies to the ergotherapy, etc.).
edge of the WISE perimeter.
54
contractual pay. Situations are often encountered minimum/symbolic
that push these companies to the wages.
edge of the WISE perimeter.
Percentage of WSNs
A minimal proportion
The great majority (>67%)
of workers are
of workers are Generally, activities are carried out disadvantaged
disadvantaged. by disadvantaged people with the (<15%).
guidance and support of
supporters.
placement
Disadvantaged
people are in the
temporarily. They are WISEs that explicitly aim WISE permanently.
at external inclusion. It is a
characteristic aspect of these
WISEs.

Social aspects
purpose of the WISE is
Social aspects are of interest if care, etc.) are central
related to work
they are related to training to the institutional
integration.
aspects (e.g., training of people scope of the WISE.
with disabilities).
55
Specific training activities
Structured specific dedicated to WSNs
training activities (e.g., There are no specific
professional training) for training activities for
WSNs, leading to training WSNs.
It is a characteristic aspect of
certification.
these WISEs.

labour market (in non-WISE
The WISE provides enterprises)
placement activities and
No structured
is recognised as
placement activities.
employment service
It is a characteristic aspect of
provider.
these WISEs, possibly carried out
at group level.
People with specific It is aimed at all

vulnerabilities They tend to deal with people with people who have
(disabilities, addictions, work-related problems, although difficulties entering
imprisonment, etc.). their social vocation may also lead the labour market.
them to include people with
special vulnerabilities.
NEETs, people with disabilities,

people with various forms of
social hardship.
56

Generally, with employment
relate to employment they relate to welfare
services, unless the persons
services. services.
placed have specific forms of
disadvantage for which they are in
the care of welfare services.
Supporter presence
There are no
There are operators with
operators with the
the specific task of
specific task of
supporters. This is a defining aspect of these supporters.
WISEs.
Structuring of supporters
High structuring of tasks Low structuring of
related to work tasks related to work
integration. This is a defining aspect of these integration.
WISEs.
57
2.2.4 Comparative overview
In the following, the above evaluations are shown synoptically. The characterising elements of each WISE are
bordered in red.
Table 5 – Social WISEs – comparative overview

PWs SWs TWs
Income

from the sale of goods from the recognition
and services on the of welfare, training
market to individuals, and placement
enterprises and public activities by public
authorities. authorities.
Turnover
Generally, large
turnover (several
(<€100K).
million €).
58
Profitability and
sustainability
Many companies with

Achieve significant
losses that put their
profits.
continuity at risk.
Investments
They do not make

significant
investments.
investments.
Technologies

equipment. equipment.
Workers’
qualifications
Significant Generic workers’

qualifications. qualifications.
Competitors
59
Examples of most
frequent areas of
activity
Cleaning, green
maintenance, Catering and food
environmental workshops,
services, crafts and agriculture,
Catering and food
industrial assembly or textile
workshops.
production, civil workshops, tailoring,
maintenance, tourist reception,
construction, shops.
catering.
Direct and indirect

public (/external)
support
Direct and indirect

public (or, at least, Absence of direct and
external) support, indirect public (or, at
related to WSNs
60
integration, covers all least, external)
costs. support.
Is there anyone
paid for working
besides WSNs
thanks to public
support?
Supporters are No public support

remunerated explicitly explicitly
by public or by others’ remunerating
external contributions. supporters.
Reserved public
procurement
Turnover entirely
derived from public
contracts (e.g., for There are no public
cleaning services on contracts reserved for
public buildings, WISEs.
maintenance, recycling)
reserved for WISEs.
61
Disadvantaged
employment status
Many disadvantaged
All disadvantaged people in WISEs not
people in WISEs are employed (e.g.,
employed and paid. traineeships,
ergotherapy, etc.).
WSNs’
remuneration
contractual pay. minimum/symbolic
wages.
Percentage of
WSNs
A minimal proportion
The great majority
of workers are
(>67%) of workers are
disadvantaged
disadvantaged.
(<15%).
62
Temporary or
permanent
placement
WSNs are at the
are in the WISE
company temporarily.
permanently.
Work and social

integration
Social aspects
purpose of the WISE is
care, etc.) are central
related to work
to the institutional
integration.
scope of the WISE.
Specific training
activities dedicated
to WSNs
There are no specific

Structured specific
training activities (e.g., training activities for
WSNs.
professional training)
63
for WSNs, leading to
training certification.
Placement
activities on open
labour market (in
non-WISE
enterprises)
The WISE provides

placement activities
No structured
and is recognised as
placement activities.
employment service
provider.
Type of
disadvantage
People with specific It is aimed at all

vulnerabilities people who have
(disabilities, addictions, difficulties entering
imprisonment, etc.). the labour market.
64
Type of
disadvantage
(detail)
Disability, mental
It depends on health, extreme NEETs, people with
national poverty; in some disabilities, people
regulations and cases, other target with various forms
traditions. groups for social of social hardship.
intervention.
Institutional
reference

relate to employment they relate to welfare
services. services.
Supporter presence
There are no
There are operators
operators with the
with the specific task of
specific task of
supporters.
supporters.
65
Structuring
supporters
High structuring of Low structuring of

tasks related to work tasks related to work
integration. integration.
66
2.2.5 Usefulness of the model
The model has functioned well in countries where public support for WISEs is not very
high: Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Romania and Slovenia. In these countries,
adherence to a model is recognisable in the culture of the WISEs, their organisational
priorities and their history; sometimes a model is recognisable in a ‘pure’ form,
sometimes with mixed characteristics. In these countries, the model is useful in the
form in which it has been proposed and contributes to outline a set of useful features
both for the specific purposes of this project (the strengthening of digital skills) and
more generally to understand the nature of these WISEs and consequently to correctly
frame both public policies and strategies for the development of the sector. The model
does require further elaboration and refinement, which can take place both during the
project and in the development of autonomous research initiatives.
In countries with strong public support (Austria, Belgium, the Netherland and Spain –
see p. 228 ff. and annex table), we find a more nuanced situation, in which WISEs tend
to develop with the characteristics of PWs, but also to develop significant training
aspects (including formal ones, not only those ‘on the job’ typical of all WISEs) and (less
frequently) social aspects. In these countries, the historical origin of WISEs may also be
less relevant: there are, for instance, WISEs that were founded as sheltered workshops,
which in later years, thanks in part to the encouraging support framework, have
adopted strongly entrepreneurial models and today are Productive WISEs in their own
right, although sometimes retaining some characteristics of SWs or TWs. The problem
arises, therefore, of how the model can frame a WISE that:
● has production characteristics: turnover from the sale of goods and services in
the order of several million euros, regularly hires hundreds or thousands of
WSNs, invests, etc.;
● but at the same time receives public support which in many cases ranges
between one third and two thirds of total revenues;
● organises significant training activities and has a large number of supporters
with working time explicitly dedicated to supporting WSNs and therefore
disconnected from production (and, in some cases, are remunerated by public
policies for this function).
67
In these cases, characteristic elements of different models coexist. This does not mean
that it is not possible to identify greater proximity to one or the other model at the level
of the prevailing business culture or mission (for example, this is quite clear in Austria
or Belgium). The boundaries are more blurred and the usefulness of the model is not
so much in identifying different types of WISE but different functions within the WISE.
In some countries (the Netherlands and Spain), even with these cautions, it is more
difficult to use the model as proposed. Overall, this model can be very useful to identify
the different types of WISEs; however, in some countries, caution is required as the
models are less self-evident.
2.3 The outcomes
After these preliminary remarks, the main outcomes of the empirical survey, resulting
from Phase 2 (national focus groups) and Phase 4 (case studies), are presented in the
following pages.
In the first part, some information on economic and entrepreneurial aspects, such as
turnover, economic margins, investments, etc., are presented.
In the second part, aspects relating to human resources and specifically work
integration activities that characterise WISEs are analysed.
In both cases, the elements common to all WISEs are first presented, regardless of the
model to which they belong; then the three scenarios are developed separately,
highlighting the characteristics of each of them; finally, some comparative
considerations between the three scenarios are proposed.
Following this analysis, a SWOT analysis was carried out, starting from the outcomes of
the case studies, highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in
the various scenarios.
Conclusions on the policies adopted towards WISEs is postponed until the concluding
pages.
68
2.3.1 Entrepreneurial aspects
2.3.1.1 General concept

During the research, we focused on the following entrepreneurial characteristics
regarding the different scenarios: income, turnover, profitability and sustainability,
investment, technologies, workers’ qualifications, competitors and most frequent areas
of activity.
The national focus groups revealed that there is significant variability among the
different types of WISEs in general, but when looking at the entrepreneurial
characteristics, WISEs have some common features, with some differences, in almost
all participating countries (with a few exceptions, e.g., Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia and
Poland).
Their income derives primarily from the sale of goods and services on the market to
individuals, enterprises and public authorities, although in many countries they also
receive financial support (recognition of training and placement work, government
funding, state aid, cost subsidies, donations and sponsorship) useful for remunerating
supporters’ work and care activities towards WSNs. The type of income is one of the
characteristics by which the differences between the different WISE scenarios are most
noticeable.
In some countries (e.g., Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands,
Romania and Spain), many WISEs have significant turnovers (up to several million
euros). This fact dispels the common stereotype that WISEs are unable to operate
successfully in the market. This obviously does not exclude that there are also smaller
WISEs.
With respect to sustainability, there are, of course, very different situations, including
some WISEs that make losses; however, what is noteworthy is that, alongside a
significant share of WISEs that break even, there are many WISEs (e.g., in Austria, in the
Netherlands and in Romania) that are able to generate and reinvest significant profits.
Again, the clichés about the inability of WISEs to operate successfully in the market are
disproved
69
There are WISEs that make significant investments for the following reasons: to
compete with non-WISE companies (e.g., in Belgium, Italy and Romania), to adapt to
new activities and new employment opportunities (e.g., in Italy and the Netherlands), to
buy new equipment (e.g., in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Romania and Slovenia)
or to guarantee the well-being and security of WSNs (e.g., in Belgium (Wallonia) and the
Netherlands).
In most cases, the WISEs compete on the same level with non-WISE enterprises and
sometimes they collaborate with them. This indicates once again that WISEs are not
‘second-class enterprises’, but enterprises that, based on the strategies they choose,
can compete on an equal footing, or collaborate on an equal basis, with non-WISE
enterprises.
Although WISEs show interest in strengthening the technologies and some of them use
advanced technologies, there are numerous cases where social enterprises have
minimal technological equipment because they choose simple activities in order not to
create barriers for the inclusion of WSNs.
As for the qualification of the WSNs, in most cases, the jobs in WISEs require generic or
lower worker qualifications. In some cases (e.g., Romania and Slovenia), the employees
participate in internal training to be able to do their daily job-related tasks.
Not all the WISEs represented in the focus groups have the above-mentioned
entrepreneurial characteristics. There are also marginal, undeveloped WISEs. This
depends on local traditions, sectors of activity and other factors. In some cases, this is
because business activity is a secondary sector of an organisation that has a social or
educational approach and provides certain users with work experience or on-the-job
training. There are also cases where it is due to the manager’s limited entrepreneurial
attitude. The entrepreneurial direction could strengthen a WISE’s sustainability, but it
could also lead to the neglect of social and training functions. In some countries (e.g.,
Austria, Belgium and Spain), this issue does not occur because training and social care
are integrated (generally recognised and financed) within the WISE’s daily operation. In
other cases, the WISEs do not recognise these functions and only offer job
opportunities or provide some of the services mentioned above in an informal way
depending on the workers’ or their supporters’ needs. This feature is also fundamental
to the WISE scenarios and will be explored further.
70
The main areas of activity in the participating countries based on the national focus
groups are the followings:
• Restaurants, catering and food

• Maintenance of green areas
• Cleaning services
• Environmental services
• Agriculture and horticulture
• Assembly and packaging
• Crafts (carpentry, metalworking, laundries, printing, clothing, textiles, etc.)
• Logistics services and transport
• Construction and renovation
• Digitalisation/data entry
• Shops
• Tourism
On the following pages, the different Scenarios will be discussed in more detail.
2.3.1.2 Productive WISEs

In most cases, these WISEs operate on the open market and derive their income from
the sale of goods and services for private users and public authorities. Although some
WISEs (e.g., in Belgium, Croatia, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain) reported that they
receive various benefits from the government (e.g., cost subsidies, government
funding) in addition to their productive activities, this is only a small part of their
income.
Obviously, we found WISEs of very different sizes and with different degrees of
entrepreneurial soundness (investment, professionalisation, quality, etc.), similarly to
the non-WISE economic system. Therefore, the presence of thousands of for-profit
micro-enterprises as well as WISEs with very small turnovers and employees should not
be surprising.
The aspect that emerges, which is instead worth emphasising, is that at least in a
certain number of European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands
and Spain) it is quite usual to find Productive WISEs with turnovers in the order of
several million euros, with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of workers, quality
71
products, investments, etc; in other words, top-level enterprises, recognised in their
own area among the leading players in the local economic fabric. And this does not
happen in a limited number of cases, but in a widespread manner throughout much of
the national area, thanks to the persistence of dozens of units with economic
characteristics of this type.
When it comes to the sustainability and profitability of the Productive WISEs, many
WISEs that made significant profits were identified. This also testifies to the fact that
there are WISEs that manage to successfully stay on the market. At the same time, this
does not mean that such WISEs do not face difficulties. In Italy, this is due to the
competition with other non-WISE companies; in Romania, it depends on the season
and the number of sales achieved. The representatives from Austria mentioned that
‘some of the WISEs act as non-profit organisations; therefore, profit is not the main aim
of these enterprises, and losses that put their continuity at risk are seldom seen’. In
most cases, we can observe that the situations vary in sustainability and profitability
depending on the sector, the market and the competitors. Some cases were identified
in Croatia, Greece and Slovenia where Productive WISEs are facing losses that put their
continuity at risk, but overall, the Productive WISEs seems to be sustainable. In most
countries, the Covid-19 situation has had a negative impact on profit.
Most Productive WISEs make significant investments. Some of them do so to be able to

compete with other for-profit companies (e.g., in Belgium, Italy and Romania), or to
adapt to new activities and new employment possibilities (e.g., in the Netherlands,
Slovenia and Spain).
When it comes to the use of technology, we can observe differences among Productive
WISEs. In Austria, the use of technology plays an essential role and is considered job
enrichment for employees and supporters. Therefore, some WISEs started projects to
promote digitalisation in their own enterprise or even established training curricula for
their social workers/key staff (e.g., DigiCoach). Depending on the work activity, they use
advanced technological equipment (e.g., special tools for accessible technology,
computer programs, technologically advanced machines). In Belgium, these
technologies are used in order to compete on equal terms with non-WISE companies,
even though Productive WISEs invest less in far-reaching automation. There was even a
representative who reported that technology is not necessary and is seen as a threat to
social work in their WISE. In the Netherlands, there is a Productive WISE that is an IT
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web service company where the technological equipment is on a high level, although
not specifically human-related. In many countries, Productive WISEs also use these
technologies to compete with other for-profit companies and use specific equipment
for their activities (e.g., high-performance sewing machines, coffee roasting line). In
Spain, France and Italy we can observe a great variety of situations, from companies
that caught up with the technological equipment of their business sector to compete
with for-profit companies to others that have minimal technological equipment. In
Croatia, Greece, Latvia and Slovenia, most WISEs use minimal technological equipment,
being engaged in very simple areas of activity with the aim of creating accessible jobs
even for people with low skills.
As regards to the workers’ qualifications, most Productive WISEs require generic or low
qualifications and workers are trained on the job.
WISEs compete in the market, thus competing (and sometimes collaborating) with non-
WISEs (as well as, possibly, some other WISEs operating in the same sectors).
2.3.1.3 Social WISEs

This section contains data on both Social WISEs and intermediate cases between Social
WISEs and Productive WISEs.
The most important entrepreneurial characteristic of Social WISEs or Productive/Social

WISEs is the type of income. In this scenario, the resources mainly come from the
recognition of their social work (e.g., by subsidies, government funding, donations and
sponsorships). Since these are WISEs anyway, a considerable part of the revenue is
derived from the sale of goods and services; but a part of the income is instead from
significant public support that allows them to hire social workers as supporters and to
offer social support to WSNs. These companies are characterised by considering work
integration as part of an overall project to take care of the WSNs and thus they also
consider aspects such as social care, housing, etc. We can observe this situation in
Austria, Wallonia, Croatia, Italy, Latvia and Romania, although this is a minority of
WISEs. The income from the sale of services is considerably lower than the income of
Productive WISEs. Due to this reason, their yearly turnover is usually low; there are a
few exceptions, such as Poland, although in that case they are borderline WISEs, similar
to organisations providing welfare services. In some cases, these organisations are the
result of the evolution of sheltered workshops who have over the years acquired the
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characteristics of a WISE, but that retain a very careful approach to taking care of social
needs.
When it comes to profitability and sustainability, we can observe different situations

between companies that face continuous losses and are supported by extraordinary
sources e.g., from a parent organisation, and those that make a profit but usually just
enough to keep them operating. Their small economic size is always a risk for WISEs
that position themselves in a competitive market in their sector. A representative from
Bulgaria reported that ‘the most significant profit of the Social WISEs is the opportunity
for WSNs to gain work experience and thus maintain a good quality of life’.
In general, Social and Productive/Social WISEs do not make significant investments, and
these are mainly spent on equipment, employee work experience and well-being, and
current and future activities.
In general, these enterprises use minimal technology and carry out simple productive
activities. There are some cases where technology is used to create safe and accessible
working conditions for people with disabilities.
As regards to workers’ qualifications, WISEs operating in this scenario mostly require

general or low qualifications, since the tasks are mostly simple and are compatible with
the conditions of the WSNs. In these WISEs, WSNs’ profiles referred to as ‘Safely Here’
are most frequently found (see p. 151 ff.)
We can observe that these types of WISEs mainly compete with other for-profit
companies, but there are some countries (e.g., Austria, Italy and Poland) where WISEs
quite frequently compete with each other as well as with non-WISEs.
2.3.1.4 Training WISEs

This section contains data on both Training WISEs and intermediate cases that lie
between Training WISEs and Productive WISEs.
With respect to the economic data that characterise these WISEs, it is important to
clearly identify the phenomenon we wish to talk about. There are, in countries such as
Belgium or Croatia (with reference to former sheltered workshops) where there are
significant levels of support for labour integration, cases of WISEs with significant
training activity within a basically Productive WISE context. In these cases, we find high
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turnovers, high operating margins, substantial investments, etc. But, in fact, these are
essentially PWs that have developed training activities internally.
The situation is different for actual Training WISEs, which are created within institutions
for what amounts to training purposes as a productive appendix to offer WSNs a
context in which to experiment and strengthen their skills.
In the latter cases, WISEs derive (directly or indirectly) a large amount of resources from
the recognition of their training work for WSNs (e.g., public funding for the training
courses and subsidies). This can happen directly, when it is WISE that is remunerated
for the training activity or, more frequently, indirectly, when it is a training institution
that is remunerated for this, and that training institution then supports WISE financially.
These types of WISEs generally also do economic activities and have income from the
sales of goods and services on the market, but like Social WISEs, this is significantly
lower than Productive WISEs. In general (Austria, Latvia, Italy, and Spain), the turnover
is usually medium or low.
When it comes to profitability and sustainability, the profit is not significant, and these
WISEs often have losses. In Italy, the representatives reported that it is often difficult to
assess sustainability separately from that of the original VET provider. If considered
separately, sustainability would be limited.
Often, training and Productive/Training WISEs’ level of investment is lower than that of
non-WISE companies operating in the same sector.
In terms of the use of technology, we can consider two different topics. The first is
technologies for production purposes. In this regard, case studies attest that
technology has plays an essential role in the Training WISEs, as it is part of the training.
Participants should be realistically prepared for the regular labour market and since
digitalisation is part of modern employment, this is considered crucial (e.g., some
Austrian case studies). Often the equipment was purchased for training activities and is
used for both production and teaching purposes (e.g., Italy). The second theme is that
of technology as a tool for training. In this regard, we found some cases of WISEs
lagging behind when it comes to investments in advanced technological equipment for
learning and training purposes (e.g., learning management systems, mixed reality
solutions, micro-learning platforms). Sometimes it is challenging for the target groups
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(e.g., elderly workers). In any case, both with respect to technological equipment and
staff skills, the importance of the field of activity must be considered.
In regard to the workers’ qualifications, some Training WISEs (e.g., in Austria, Belgium
and Italy) aim to reintegrate the target group through training, workshops and
education and to bring the persons placed in it to a professional level compatible with
entry into the labour market or with entry into a Productive WISE. This is one of the
most important characteristics of the Training WISEs. For this reason, the workers’
qualifications are usually lower than in non-WISEs. In these WISEs, WSNs profiles
referred to as the ‘Revenant’ are most frequently found (see p. 167 ff.).
These types of WISEs mainly compete with non-WISE companies.
2.3.1.5 Comparison between WISEs

Overall, we can observe that the entrepreneurial characteristics that most determine
the WISEs’ scenarios are income and the level and purpose of investment.
Productive WISEs, where present in a ‘pure’ form, mainly derive resources from their
economic activities: sales of goods and services on the market to private individuals
and public authorities and only a small part of their income coming from various
sources of government funding, subsidies or donations; this is the case, at least, in
countries where support for WISEs is weaker. As highlighted elsewhere, the situation is
different in countries where WISEs receive more support.
In contrast, Social and Training WISEs can derive resources from two sources.
The first is the recognition of social, training and placement activities by the public
authorities; these WISEs make some income from economic activities, but this is
significantly lower than Productive WISEs. The amount and type of income largely
determine what activities (e.g., work, social, training) and investments are carried out in
the different WISEs’ scenarios.
In general, the yearly turnover of Productive WISEs is higher than Social or Training
WISEs.
The second possible source is to be understood by considering Social WISEs or Training

WISEs as part of a group of social economy bodies. In this case, the WISE is often a
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productive activity (generally of medium-small size) that the parent organisation carries
out in order to complete its mission in the social or training field.
We can observe that most Productive WISEs make significant investments to be able to
compete with mainly for-profit companies in order to adapt to new activities, especially
those linked to involvement in new activities and new employment opportunities. In
contrast, Social WISEs do not make significant investments and these are spent mainly
on equipment, employee work experience, well-being and current and future activities.
Regarding profitability and sustainability, Productive WISEs make significantly more

profit than Social or Training WISEs, therefore making them more sustainable, but not
always without difficulties. In cases of Social WISEs or Training WISEs created by a
parent organisation, sustainability is often ensured by direct or indirect transfers from
the latter.
2.3.2 Work integration
2.3.2.1 General concept

Regarding work integration, we focused on the following characteristics during the
research: WSNs’ employment status and remuneration, percentage and type of WSNs,
duration of employment (temporary or permanent), work and social integration
activities, specific training activities dedicated to WSNs, placement activities on the
open labour market (for-profit companies), institutional reference and supporters’
presence and their role. It derives resources from the recognition of welfare, training
and placement activities by the public authorities.
The national focus groups revealed that WISEs employ a significant proportion of
workers from disadvantaged backgrounds who generally have low qualifications.
Due to the prevalence of Productive WISEs, most WSNs are employed and paid
according to collective agreements. Only a small proportion of workers are not hired
and receive social allowances.
The share of WSNs varies widely, even within the same countries. There are many cases
where the WSNs make up more than half of those employed (e.g., in Belgium: 65–96%,
according to the different types of WISEs; in Croatia: more than 50%; in Greece: a high
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percentage of the total employment; in Latvia: more than 60%; in the Netherlands: the
great majority of workers according to the type of WISEs; in Romania and Slovenia in
most WISEs; and in Spain: more than 70% in CEEs, a Spanish type of WISE). This seems
to be, at least regarding the cases studied, the prevailing situation. But there are also
different situations: for instance, in Italy, cases where the share of WSNs is, according
to the country’s regulations, around 30% are widespread; in Bulgaria, we find cases
where WSNs make up between 20% and 30% of those employed. In the Netherlands,
alongside WISEs with a high number of WSNs, we find others with percentages around
15%. Several factors influence the share of WSNs: these include legal constraints, the
business culture of the WISE and sustainability requirements.
In terms of the type of disadvantage, in addition to persons with disabilities, other

disadvantaged groups are also employed by WISEs (e.g., long-term unemployed
persons, migrants, NEETs, Roma people, single parents, ex-prisoners, drug and alcohol
addicts).
Regarding the duration of the integration, training and placement activities in the open
labour market, in most countries, permanent employment is prevalent (e.g., Greece,
Latvia, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain CEEs) and there are no structured
placement and training activities within WISEs. In some countries, although permanent
integration is prevalent due to the lack of external placement opportunities, there are
some WISEs that aim to operate as ‘bridges’ to employment in non-WISE enterprises
(e.g., Belgium, Italy and Spain EISs). In some countries, placement activities are
remarkably common (e.g., Belgium and Austria). Often, placement activities are
associated with the presence of training activities and these are the core of Training
WISEs. Some countries are planning the implementation of training and placement
activities in Productive WISEs (e.g., Greece). These characteristics and activities to a
large extent determine the type of WISEs.
When it comes to the support of the workers in work and social integration, the type of
support activities provided to employees depends to a large extent on the type of WISE.
In most cases, we can observe the presence of social assistance (housing, social care,
and services, rehabilitation, etc.) alongside the work integration activities.
Regarding the institutional reference, most WISEs relate to employment services, but
we can observe mixed situations as well (between employment and welfare services).
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Most WISEs, in all countries, engage supporters, who are an indispensable element to
WISEs and their roles are generally well structured. A smaller number of cases have
supporters that have informal roles without much structure (e.g., IDESS in Wallonia;
Women’s Agricultural Cooperatives in Greece; conventional companies, social
cooperatives, associations in Croatia and Latvia; a WISE in Slovenia). Sometimes, there
is explicit financial public support for WISEs to hire supporters: ‘public support is mainly
linked to workers’ salaries and investments, as well as support units, which get specific
support to cover salaries. The amount granted is based on the number and level of
disability of workers to be served’ (Spain).
Considering different WISE ‘scenarios’, the following characteristics can be observed

about work integration characteristics.
2.3.2.2 Productive WISEs

In this WISE scenario, WSNs are usually employed and work, and are paid, for enough
hours to ensure partial or complete economic independence, according to their health
conditions. There are some cases where some workers are not employed and/or
receive symbolic or reduced payment (e.g., France and Women’s Agricultural
Cooperatives in Greece).
In most Productive WISEs, a large proportion of workers are disadvantaged, which

usually means that more than 50% of the employees are from vulnerable groups.
There are some Productive WISEs (e.g., the Netherlands, a WISE in Romania and CISs in
Spain) where WSNs make up only a minority of the workforce. In the terms of the type
of disadvantage, most types of disadvantaged groups are employed by Productive
WISEs: persons with disabilities (highest rate), long-term unemployed, workers after
rehabilitation, NEETs, migrants, elderly, refugees and people with alcohol, narcotic,
psychotropic, toxic substance, gambling or computer gambling addiction, etc. We can
observe some cases where the WISEs only focus on one group (e.g., ETAs in Belgium,
Women’s Agriculture Cooperatives in Greece, WISEs in Latvia, Slovenia and the
Netherlands and CEEs in Spain), but in most cases, there is a mix of disadvantaged
groups in employment.
In regard to the duration of integration, most Productive WISEs offer permanent

contracts to their employees. There are some cases (e.g., in Belgium (Flanders) and
Italy) where there is a model that is a mix between permanent and transitional models.
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There are few cases (e.g., Austria and Romania – mixed model) where employment is
temporary. We can observe that the transitional model with placement and training
activities is possible where WISEs have adequate support (usually from the state) to
finance the above-mentioned activities that do not generate revenue but improve
employment possibilities of WSNs in the open labour market. The transition model is
very expansive. This is because 1) it includes training and placement activities and 2)
above all, because the WISE deprives itself of a trained worker to start with an
untrained one. This is possible 1) in a few best practices or 2) where there is adequate
support.
When it comes to specific training activities dedicated to WSNs, in most Productive

WISEs there are no structured, specific training activities that lead to certification or
placement in the open labour market. However, there are some Productive WISEs that
provide training for their workers. We can observe different situations: in Austria,
training activities are often prepended before workers start their job in the WISE: some
WISEs do competence checks, health issue checks or capability checks; in other cases, a
couple of hours are reserved for training/education. In Belgium (Flanders), there are
some training activities not specifically aimed at job skills but at other aspects (e.g.,
well-being, resilience, coping with aggression, permanent training in the workplace). In
Wallonia (also Belgium), generally, there are more training activities for workers than
those required of a non-WISE enterprise. In Italy, there are different situations. In many
cases, there are no specific training courses; however, there are WISEs that give
particular attention to the qualification of WSNs. Sometimes, WISEs have partnerships
with a vocational, education and training institute for the training of its employees. In
Slovenia and Spain, in some WISEs, there are some specific training activities related to
the job’s tasks. In Romania, a Productive WISE provides specific training activities and
works in partnership with other enterprises in the group to provide vocational training
and certifications.
Regarding work and social integration activities, the institutional purpose of most
Productive WISEs is related to work integration. There are some WISEs where we can
observe mixed situations. In Austria, Productive WISEs support WSNs not only in
reintegration into the regular labour market but also in stabilising their social
environment (by either supporting the target group through social work or by sending
the persons to other established institutions, e.g., addiction care, responsible
authorities, debt counselling, education institutions). In some countries (e.g., Belgium,
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Italy, Slovenia and Spain), although most supporting activities have a work-related
purpose, there are also cases where attention is given to additional needs (e.g.,
housing, social care).
We can observe that most Productive WISEs have no structured placement activities.
This is borne out from the fact that in most cases the employees have long-term
contracts. However, there are exceptions. In Austria, all Productive WISEs are supposed
to do placement activities as part of reintegration into the open labour market. The
placement rates are stipulated by the Austrian Public Employment Service. The
contracts are usually temporary – therefore, placement activities or support in finding
employment in the regular labour market is an essential part of Productive WISEs. In
Belgium (both in Flanders and Wallonia) and in Romania, external placement is usually
also part of the core activities of Productive WISEs. In Spain, CEEs provide placement
activities and are recognised as employment service providers.
Regarding the institutional reference, in most countries (e.g., Austria, Belgium (in
Flanders), Croatia, Greece, Latvia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Romania and Spain),
Productive WISEs offer employment services but we can observe mixed situations in
Belgium (Wallonia), Italy, Romania and Slovenia, where Productive WISEs offer not only
to employment services but also welfare services.
In most Productive WISEs, supporters play an essential role, and their activities are
generally well structured. The supporters, in lots of cases, are simply non-WSN
colleagues (e.g., Italy, Latvia and Romania) or more experienced WSNs (e.g., Wallonia in
Belgium). The activities of the support persons relate to work integration (e.g., Greece –
KoiSPE, KoinSEp, Romania, Slovenia and Spain) and the safety of the WSNs. In Italy,
there are different situations; however, in some cases, integration procedures are
structured with a specific work integration manager and formalised procedures. There
are some Productive WISEs (we can find some examples in Croatia, Woman Agricultural
Cooperatives in Greece, Latvia, the Netherlands and Slovenia) where there are no
operators with specific supporting tasks; even in the countries mentioned, these are
not exclusive solutions, and we can also find cases where supporters are explicitly
present.
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2.3.2.3 Social WISEs
This paragraph concerns both Social WISEs and intermediate cases between Social
WISEs and Productive WISEs. Regarding WSNs, we can observe in most cases (e.g.,
Bulgaria, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania) that, although the WSNs are
employed, they receive the minimum wage. Some Social WISEs show a great variety of
forms of employment: some of the WSNs are employed with a contract and others are
in the WISE as social care users. Salaries are therefore varied, ranging from minimal
and symbolic reimbursements to regular contractual wages, although in some cases at
very reduced working hours. Sometimes the forms of remuneration of WSNs are
designed to be consistent with the integration process in which they are included; for
example, in a WISE in Romania, the WSNs are also hosted in a housing service and the
receive pay divided into three parts: contribution to the house expenses, saved money
for the future apartment and pocket money. It is clear in this case how money
management takes on an educational value, training WSNs in conscious and forward-
looking use of their wages. In some cases, the hourly wage corresponds to the
contractual minimum wage, but the number of working hours per week is minimal
(fewer than ten or sometimes fewer than five) or the work is carried out on an
occasional or intermittent basis according to national regulations. This can lead to
cases where the WSN is at the same time a user of a social welfare service of a WISE (or
of a sister organisation) and a paid worker for a few hours per week. Sometimes the
working hours and/or the monthly pay is quantified to such an extent that the WSN
does not lose the social allowances he or she receives: a wage contributes to WSNs’
economic autonomy as an addition to the social allowance.
In most Social and Productive/Social WISEs, a large proportion of workers are WSNs,
which means that more than 50% of the employees are from vulnerable groups. There
are a few cases (e.g., Bulgaria and the Netherlands) where WSNs are a minority in the
workforce. Like the Productive WISEs, most types of disadvantaged groups are present
in the employment of Social and Productive/Social WISEs: persons with disabilities,
persons with psychiatric disorders, persons in long-term unemployment, Roma people,
NEETs, the elderly, homeless persons, persons with alcohol and drug problems,
refugees and persons with difficulties in the labour market. In most cases, there is a
mixture of disadvantaged groups in employment. These are in any case people who are
undergoing a social rehabilitation programme that includes participation in work
activities for various reasons, e.g., to strengthen self-esteem, to confront an
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environment governed by rules, to test their ability to relate to other people, to test
their ability to sustain the rhythms of production, to rediscover their manual skills, etc.
In regard to the duration of integration, WSNs usually stay permanently in the

employment of Social and Productive/Social WISEs. We can also observe mixed
situations (e.g., in Wallonia in Belgium, associations and veterans social working
cooperatives in Croatia, in the Netherlands, and Supported Employment Enterprises in
Poland). In Romania, a WISE states that ‘WSNs are temporarily employed, at least in
theory. Some are unable to find a job on the free market’; other WISEs integrate WSNs
for a period from two to five years.
When it comes to specific training activities dedicated to WSNs, there are training
activities in Social and Productive/Social WISEs (in most cases) but these are not as
structured as in Training and Training/Productive WISEs. WISEs of this type usually
provide training for their employees to acquire the skills, knowledge and competences
needed for their job and to understand their role. In a Romanian WISE, they organise
one-on-one and group conversations on different topics on life management (e.g.,
handling money, friendships, relationships, healthy habits, the importance of diet and
sport, sex, abortion, handling emotions, punctuality). In addition, each job coach offers
specific training on their domain of work (e.g., cooking, selling, sorting items, delivering,
cleaning, assembling furniture), but participants do not get any certificate at the end of
the training. In veteran social working cooperatives in Croatia, they offer structured
specific training activities (e.g., professional training) for WSNs leading to training
certification. There are some WISEs (e.g., social cooperatives in Croatia, in the
Netherlands, Supported Employment Enterprises in Poland and some WISEs in
Romania) where there are no specific training activities.
Regarding the work and social integration activities, the institutional purpose of most
Social and Productive/Social WISEs mainly relate to social aspects (e.g., housing,
inclusion, care, providing access to school, support in administration processes). Work
integration is also present but in a smaller proportion than in Productive WISEs. There
are some Productive/Social WISEs (e.g., social cooperatives and veteran social working
cooperatives in Croatia, and Supported Employment Enterprises in Poland) where the
institutional purpose mainly relates to work integration.
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We can observe that most Social and Productive/Social WISEs have no structured
placement activities. However, there are some WISEs that lie between the social and
training model (e.g., Bulgaria, and) that provide placement activities. In Wallonia in
Belgium, external placement (‘enclave services’) is usually also part of the core activities
of the WISE.
Regarding the institutional reference, we can observe mixed situations in most

countries (e.g., Belgium, Latvia, Netherlands, Social Cooperatives and Professional
Activity Establishments in Poland and Romania), since Social and Productive/Social
WISEs relate to both employment and welfare services. We can find some WISEs that
only offer employment services, and some WISEs that only offer welfare services.
In most Social and Productive/Social WISEs, supporters are the key element of this type
of WISE. They have specific responsibilities that lead to a high degree of structuring
when it comes to tasks related to work integration. In some cases (e.g., Austria,
Bulgaria, Italy and Romania) they are qualified professionals, in others (e.g., Wallonia in
Belgium and some WISEs in Latvia and in Romania) the supporters are simply non-WSN
colleagues or more experienced WSNs. There are some Social and Productive/Social
WISEs (e.g., social cooperatives and associations in Croatia and Social Cooperatives and
Supported Employment Enterprises in Poland) where there are no operators with
specific supporting tasks.
2.3.2.4 Training WISEs

This paragraph concerns both Training WISEs and intermediate cases between Training
WISEs and Productive WISEs. When it comes to WSNs’ status and remuneration in
Training or Productive/Training WISEs, we can observe that in general, the WSNs are
employed and paid in this scenario. In Austria, the target group usually gets subsidies
during the training (e.g., unemployment benefits and needs-based minimum benefits).
Some of the Training WISEs employ their WSNs on a regular wage. In Belgium
(Flanders), the WSNs are remunerated through social welfare. In Italy, only a few
Trainings WISEs operate; in these WISEs, few workers are paid; others are trainees or
people in training. Paid workers – generally, NEETs who are not formally WSNs
according to Italian law but are according to European criteria – are sometimes hired as
apprentices, a specific kind of contract provided for by Italian law, receiving a regular
wage.
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In most Training and Productive/Training WISEs, a large proportion of workers are
WSNs, which means that more than 50% of the employees are from vulnerable groups.
In this scenario (like in others), most types of disadvantaged groups are present:
persons with disabilities, persons who need psychosocial support, elderly persons,
young, vulnerable adults who have left compulsory schooling, persons in long-term
unemployment, NEETs, migrants, ex-prisoners, persons with alcohol and/or drug
addiction and persons who have difficulties entering the labour market. There are
some WISEs (e.g., sheltered workshops in Croatia) that focus on one group (e.g.,
persons with disabilities), and there are others (e.g., Austria, Flanders in Belgium,
Bulgaria and Italy) where a mix of disadvantaged groups are employed.
In most Training and Productive/Training WISEs, the duration of integration is

temporary because their goal is to place their target groups in mainstream (for-profit)
companies or Productive WISEs due to the training and supported employment they
receive at the WISE. There are some cases (e.g., integrative workshops in Croatia) where
workers can stay permanently, but the general aim is also external placement.
The other main characteristic of this type of WISE is the specific training activities for
WSNs. The training activities in this scenario are fundamental parts of the WISE’s
operation, and the purpose of these is to improve the target groups’ employability and
reintegrate them in the open labour market. In general, these training activities are
structured, personalised and provided both within courses and work in the enterprise.
Some of the training leads to certification.
In regard to work and social integration activities, this type of WISE aims to train work
skills, competences and knowledge for future employment; however, they also provide
support depending on additional needs (e.g., housing, social inclusion, social services).
There are some Training and Productive/Training WISEs (e.g., in Croatia and Spain)
whose institutional purpose relates only to work integration.
When it comes to the placement activities, external placement in the open labour
market is usually one of the main goals of this scenario, but we can observe differences
among the participating countries. In Austria, placement rates are stipulated by the
Austrian Public Employment Service, contracts are temporary and support in finding
employment on the regular labour market is an additional part of Training WISEs. In
Belgium (Flanders), the public employment service of Flanders (VDAB) is responsible for
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temporary access to the Training WISEs and other employment activities in the social
economy for all persons, regardless of their status, as well as for placement activities
after training activities have been completed (VDAB assesses whether a person still
meets the conditions for participation in a Training WISE and can or cannot move on to
paid employment, whether it is the social economy or in the open labour market, at
least annually). The WISEs themselves are neither responsible for employing the person
after the training activities nor for supporting the target groups in their job search (in
the social or regular economy). Supporting persons in their employment is carried out
by VDAB and partner organisations. In Croatia, Italy, Romania and Spain, external
placement is part of the core activities of this type of WISE.
Regarding institutional reference, in most countries (e.g., Austria, Flanders in Belgium,

Spain and Romania), these types of WISEs relate mainly to employment services. In
some cases, we can observe a mixed situation. For example, in Italy it depends on the
person included: some arrive at these WISEs through welfare services (e.g., persons
with disabilities), others (e.g., persons with difficulties in the labour market) through
Employment Centres.
In this scenario, supporters are an indispensable element of WISEs; their role is

generally well structured and relates to the job placement of WSNs. In most cases, they
are qualified operators with specific tasks.
2.3.2.5 Comparison between WISEs

Overall, we can observe that the share of paid workers, the duration of integration, the
presence of training and placement activities, the work and social integration activities
and the institutional references most determine WISEs’ scenarios.
Although WSNs are also employed, are paid and receive contractual payment in Social
and Training WISEs, their wages are lower than in Productive WISEs.
While Productive and Social WISEs are characterised by long-term, permanent

employment of the WSNs, Training WISEs employ their target groups temporarily
because one of their main goals is to improve their employability and place them in the
open labour market.
The presence of training activities for WSNs in Training WISEs is most typical and in
most cases these trainings are structured and personalised, and some of them lead to
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certification. Although there are also training activities in some Productive and Social
WISEs, these are not as structured as in the Training WISEs and their main purpose is to
support their workers in understanding their role and learning the skills, competences
and knowledge needed for their work activities.
Regarding work and social integration activities, the institutional purpose of most
WISEs relates to work integration. The Social WISEs offer significant support on social
aspects to their WSNs (work integration is also present but in a smaller proportion
compared to Productive WISEs). We can sometimes observe mixed situations in all
scenarios (e.g., mixed models).
When it comes to placement activities, Training WISEs are the enterprises that provide
most structured placement for WSNs in for-profit companies or in some cases in
Productive WISEs.
While most Social WISEs relate to both employment and welfare services, most
Productive and Training WISEs are related to only employment services.
In regard to the percentage and type of WSNs, and the presence and role of
supporters, we can observe similar situations in the three WISEs scenarios. In most
cases, a large proportion of workers are WSNs. The supporters are indispensable
elements of most WISEs and their role is generally well structured.
2.4 SWOT analysis: a transversal reading

During the case studies, a SWOT analysis was carried out. This is an analysis framework
aimed at identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an
organisation and is used to assess the position of a company within its development
strategy. The individual SWOT analyses can be accessed in the extended national
reports
The four criteria above – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats – are the
result of the intersection of two analytical dimensions:
• the helpful elements and the harmful elements;

• the elements of internal and external origin.
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Figure 3 – SWOT Analysis
The next steps were:
• aggregation of the outcomes of the SWOT analysis based on the scenarios

identified;
• identification of the items and sub-items mentioned in the SWOT, verifying their
presence in the various Scenarios;
• discussion of the items, identifying for each one how they fit into the SWOT
framework.
2.4.1 The aggregation of the SWOT by scenarios
The table shows the main themes that emerged from the SWOT, aggregated based on
the scenarios. Although, as highlighted elsewhere, in some cases the identification of
WISE types may have certain controversial aspects, in general the analysis returns
useful results for identifying the different scenarios.
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Table 6 – Productive WISEs – SWOT analysis
Helpful Harmful
Internal origin Strengths Weaknesses
Reputation: Team:
• Good recognition by local governments • Generational issue due to the ageing of the
and stakeholders, leading to growth of employees and the management and training of
the business and visibility (Belgium, new management both in terms of skills and
Slovenia, Croatia, the Netherlands, adherence to the mission (Italy, Belgium)
Romania) • Lack of staff in administration and support (e.g.,
• Customer satisfaction due to Greece) and lack of a well-trained team;
appreciation of the social objectives of unstructured with poor communication, poor
the PWs, the fast and good-quality teamwork in some parts of business, low sense of
service and products, the individual responsibility (Austria, Croatia)
approach towards clients and a lack of • High work pressure (Belgium, the Netherlands)
order losses, facilitating customer loyalty
(Austria, Croatia, Latvia, Romania)
• Increased professionalism and regional Digitalisation:
anchoring through inclusion in territorial
and supra-territorial network structures • Lack of digital skills of workers and the use of
and activities with good practices technology, which is a problem when facing
(Belgium, Italy, France, Romania)
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Team: competition (Austria, Croatia, the Netherlands,
Spain)
• Very productive, skilled, flexible,
experienced, collaborative, organised Public support:
team with a strong leadership and
• Lack of support from national authorities (Croatia,
inclusive attitude in the domain of
Italy, the Netherlands, Romania)
support; work integration by sharing the
same values regarding solidarity and
social economy (Croatia, Greece, Italy,
Production:
Latvia, Spain, the Netherlands, Romania)
• Lack of experience in marketing and sales and
Production:
difficulty in making structural and organisational
• Provision of ‘added value’ compared to changes in accordance with the changes in the
ordinary enterprises: short distances to labour and production market by combining social
customers, delivery time, positive work and support to business and entrepreneurship
ecological effects, etc. (Austria, Spain) (Greece, Spain)
• Diversification of the sectors of activities
that can succeed economically and bring
growth (Austria, Croatia, the WSNs:
Netherlands)
• Lack of qualified WSNs (Latvia, Spain)
• Provision of unique and quality products
or services and these latter often have
certifications (Italy, Latvia, the
Netherlands)
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Profitability:
• Alongside social mission, strong focus on

financial health and profitability. Running
on business principles and not as charity
(Belgium, Latvia)
Sustainability:
• Good financial and asset situation

(Romania, Italy, the Netherlands) even in
a time of economic crisis and pandemic
(Romania)
Partnership:
• Strong cooperation and alliance with

various stakeholders and reliability of
partners for the reintegration of WSNs.
This boosts their social visibility and the
design of strategic plans in line with the
changing reality of the labour market
(the Netherlands, Spain)
External origin Opportunities Threats
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Public support: Global context:
• Financial opportunities from public • Human resources shortages due to the pandemic
authorities (Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, (Croatia)
Poland) through reserved tenders (Italy) • The economic crisis before the pandemic (Greece)
and European funds (Spain, Romania). and the pandemic itself and the Ukrainian war have
This encourages the use of services and led to unpredictability and uncertainty because of
goods produced by PWs and the scarcity of raw materials, energy crisis, price
creation, maintenance and expansion of inflation, etc. It represents a significant risk to the
social initiative enterprises as well as existence of PWs (Belgium, Croatia, Slovenia, Spain,
processes of digital transformation to the Netherlands, Romania, Poland)
obtain more visibility and social
recognition
• Some changes in the national legislation Public support:
will be beneficial for WISEs (France,
• Not enough government funding options and public
Romania) regarding the circular
economy (France), exemption from the support (Italy, Greece, Romania) and lack of
payment of profit tax, reserved contracts possibilities to use European funds (Greece,
and the unemployment insurance Romania) as social economy is not seen as a
system, stimulating employment solution by the authorities and legislation is not
(Romania) clear and adapted (Romania)
• Reserved contracts are legally possible (Italy, Greece,
the Netherlands) but, in many territories, they are
hardly used (Italy) and they impose severe
Digitalisation:
limitations in terms of cash liquidity (Greece). The
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• Technological equipment and innovation payments from the state and local authorities for
to implement activities and online reserved contracts are usually delayed, there is no
shopping related to circular economy financial space for big investments and no direct or
and production process of PWs (Belgium, indirect support for the functioning of the WISE as a
the Netherlands, Romania) through business (Greece)
policy subsidies (Belgium) • Financial dependence (the Netherlands, Spain) on
municipalities/organisations (the Netherlands) and
Partnership:
on public or private subsidies in order to develop
• New collaboration and maintenance of their investment (Spain)
existing partnerships in public and
private sectors (Belgium, Slovenia, the
Competition:
Netherlands, France). Good relationships
with local authorities and big employers • Pressure of competition with non-WISE companies
in the area allow them to offer (Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Spain). In case of
synergistic services and take advantage crisis, customers can select conventional enterprises
of the quota system (Slovenia) as they can manage production faster and more
Placement: cheaply (Latvia)
Human resources:
• Necessity to develop the placement of
WSNs in the regular market through • Difficulties in finding personnel (Italy, the
their integration in traditional companies Netherlands) and particularly young people and
(Austria, Greece, France) qualified workers due to low economic levels
Growth: • Labour market scarcity (Belgium, the Netherlands)
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• Market development of new business
sectors and activities and increasing
export to reach more potential Political uncertainty:
customers (Croatia, Latvia, the
Netherlands, France, Romania) at • Developing regional and national policies can have a
regional, national and international level major impact on WISEs and WSNs (Belgium,
(Croatia) by using the social angle in Romania, the Netherlands, France). For instance,
communication of PWs and by working legislative instability and unbalanced national
with the public sector as clients (Latvia). priorities emerged on the public agenda as a result
Growth ambition allows WISEs to reach of unforeseen issues such as pandemic, natural
more WSNs (the Netherlands) disasters, drought, etc. (Romania)
Lack of public awareness:

• Insufficient and incomplete knowledge on social
economy and WISEs preventing purchase from
social enterprises (Romania, Poland)
Table 7 – Social WISEs – SWOT analysis
Helpful Harmful
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Funding: Production:
• Building stable funding mechanisms • Entrepreneurial weakness in Italy, Croatia and Latvia
and/or diversifying income sources thanks to undeveloped market due to the lower
(Poland, Croatia). The use of reserved quality of production or the lack of business
contracts is helpful and there are some knowledge (i.e., quota employment) and skills, or
other possibilities of additional sources simply the leader at time
of funding, projects, etc. • It is hard for staff to cope with the production
• Source of revenues depending on a numbers (Romania, Italy, Bulgaria). The staff
single contracting entity because in times consists of unskilled young people whose
of good cooperation it provides stability, productivity and competence are low. Permanent
but in a situation of political conflict, it supervision of the staff providing mentoring/training
can mean a complete loss of orders (e.g., is required (Romania)
Poland) Team:
Partnership: • Necessity to have competent persons in mentoring
roles to support WSNs in carrying out the company’s
• Strong partnership with stakeholders
economic tasks. This creates lower level of
(Latvia, Italy, Romania). Close partnership
productivity (Croatia, Poland, Romania)
with the ‘parent organisation’, which
• Difficulty in investing in human resources (Romania,
economically and organisationally
Croatia, Bulgaria). The staff consists of unskilled
supports the WISEs (Italy) and ensures
young people whose productivity and competence
closeness to the target group (Latvia)
are low. Permanent supervision of the staff
Team: providing mentoring/training is required
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• Staff educated, experienced, productive Public awareness:
and connected to the local community • Insufficient communication and public awareness
(Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia) regarding the social missions of SWs (e.g., Bulgaria)
• WSNs gain more self-confidence and
courage and are socially open (Austria).
They are motivated and have a sense of
belonging and willingness to volunteer
(Italy)
• WSNs possess strong skills and
experience (Croatia, Italy)
Reputation:
• High customer and worker satisfaction
due to the quality of goods and services
with a meaningful and visible impact
(Bulgaria, Poland, Romania)
Digitalisation:
• Creation of new jobs such as graphic

designer, social media officer, etc. (e.g.,
Austria)
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Growth: Production:
• Market development with new project at • Decreased production of WISEs due to the economic
the regional and national level through crisis, high inflation and the pandemic (e.g.,
the creation of new activities and Romania, Latvia, Croatia, Poland)
services and the expansion of the client
base (Croatia, Romania, Latvia, Bulgaria)
Team:
• Difficult to recruit qualified and motivated
Partnership: employees (Romania, Croatia, Italy)
• Development of partnerships and good
cooperation with private sector (e.g.,
Competition:
Croatia), larger businesses (e.g., Latvia)
and local authorities (e.g., Poland) • They risk losing out in the market competition (Italy,
Romania)
Digital: Administration:
• Use of digital technology will help the • Strict legal and regulatory requirements put
productivity and activities of the SWs pressure on the administration of the WISE (Austria,
(e.g., Bulgaria, Romania) Romania)
Digitalisation:
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Funding: • In some cases, the development of technology is
often perceived as a threat (e.g. Austria, Latvia).
• Possibility to use public procurement Digitisation occurs rapidly and WISEs struggle to
and reserved contracts (e.g., Croatia, keep up.
Romania)
Reputation:
• Gaining recognition of the social value

through the work done (e.g., Italy)
through more public awareness and
customers’ loyalty (e.g., Austria)
Table 8 – Training WISEs – SWOT analysis
Helpful Harmful
Digitalisation: Marketing:
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• Use of technology in daily activities • Lack of marketing strategy and budget (Latvia,
(Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia) Croatia, Romania), leading to dependency on clients
• Equipment adapted to production and (e.g., Latvia) and to low visibility and insufficient
learning needs (e.g., Romania) investment in the promotion and marketing of
WISEs (e.g., Croatia)
Team:
• The team is stable, well-prepared,
Digital:
strong, motivated, experienced and have
strong training competences (Austria, • No focus on digital skills and equipment (Austria, the
Italy, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Netherlands). In Austria, training centres are well
Romania) equipped with hardware and software, while WSNs
• Good knowledge of the needs and skills are poorly equipped. It is therefore difficult for the
development of WSNs (e.g., Bulgaria, the WSNs to train and acquire skills because of the
Netherlands) unavailability or obsolescence of materials
Partnership:
• They are still in a close partnership with
the parent organisation, which ensures
closeness to the target group (Italy,
Latvia, Romania) by provision of digital
expertise, networking frameworks and
regional anchoring (Austria) but also
financial and administrative support
(Romania)
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• Close cooperation with stakeholders
such as municipalities (the Netherlands,
Poland) and conventional companies
(the Netherlands)
Reputation:
• High customer and worker satisfaction

due to the quality of goods and services
and also the determination of the staff
(Croatia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands,
Romania)
• Training is certified, which encourages
WSNs (Austria, Bulgaria)
Funding:
• Uses various possibilities for additional

sources of financing with public funds in
order to implement their activities (e.g.,
Croatia, Poland)
Growth: Funding:
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• Market development for new activities • Lack of or unstable funding support from public
(Croatia, Latvia, Romania) at regional and authorities (Romania, Bulgaria) for WISEs (Romania)
national level (Croatia) through the and for NGOs willing to become WISEs (Bulgaria)
expansion of client base and large • Financial dependence on public authorities (the
investments (Latvia) Netherlands, Austria)
Political uncertainty:
Partnership:
• Instability of political landscape raising volatility in
• Increased recognition thanks to good the social sector (e.g., Bulgaria, the Netherlands)
cooperation with national and • Economic crisis altering prices due to the war in
international stakeholders, such as other Ukraine and inflation (Poland, Romania, Latvia)
WISEs, NGOs, public authorities and • Intensification of Covid-19 and lockdowns
conventional companies (Bulgaria, the potentially affecting the business and its long-term
Netherlands, Poland, Romania) sustainability (Bulgaria, Austria)
Team:
Placement: • Difficulty to recruit staff. In some cases, the
mentality of people with disabilities is oriented
• Will to place WSNs in regular companies towards waiting for assistance and not engaging in
by matching the training with the skills work. Sometimes it is difficult to fully involve new
required in the regular labour market generations of workers in the mission and working
(Austria, Bulgaria, the Netherlands) style of WISE.
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Funding:
• New funding opportunities for the

activities of TWs (Romania, Bulgaria)
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2.4.2 Identification of prevailing items
Table 9 summarises the items that emerged in the SWOT analysis, which have been
reported in full in the tables above (Table 6, Table 7 and Table 7). The themes reported
among the strengths are Reputation, Team, Training, Profitability, Digitalisation,
Production, Partnership and Funding. The following columns note which WISE types
highlighted certain items. For example, PWs listed Reputation among their strengths; of
course, this does not mean that all PWs have reputation as a strength, but this happens
with some frequency and appears reasonable (and not merely contingent or
occasional) within the theoretical framework.
As can be seen, the same theme can be mentioned, even by the same type of WISE, as
among the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; this is not surprising, as it
reflects the complexity of the reality of WISEs.
The items were then grouped into higher-level items (see right-hand column). For
example, Team, Training, Workers’ skills and WSNs are all item referring to Human
resources. This is the starting point for the subsequent analysis.
2.4.2.1 Table 9 – Items of SWOT analysis
PW SW TW
Reputation X X X
Team X X X
Training X
S Profitability X
Digitalisation X
Production X
Partnership X X X
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Funding X X
Team X X
Workers’ skills, WSNs and production X
Public support X
W Marketing X X
Production X X
Digitalisation X X
Public awareness X
Reputation X
Digitalisation X X
Growth X X X
Partnership X X X
O
Placement X X
Placement X X
Funding X X
Public support X
T Global context, Covid-19, war X X
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Political uncertainty X X
Administration and bureaucracy X
Public awareness X
Public support X
Funding X
Human resources/team X X X
Competition X X
Production X
Digitalisation X
2.4.2.2 Legend
Human resources Support
Stakeholder Reputation and public awareness
Entrepreneurial enhancement Other
2.4.3 SWOT analysis: the items
2.4.3.1 Reputation and public awareness

The issue of reputation has always been central to WISEs and other social enterprises,
which are characterised by a peculiar relationship with their communities. This
relationship provides WISEs with various forms of support (e.g., volunteering) and is
closely linked to the mission of WISEs. This theme is linked to that of public awareness,
that is, the ability to form a public opinion aware of the work of WISEs. These two
issues are interrelated, although reputation is related to a WISE’s direct stakeholders
(the inhabitants of the area in which it operates, workers, customers, etc.) while public
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awareness concerns public opinion and therefore also people who do not have direct
contact with WISEs.
The first important element is that all types of WISEs indicate reputation as among their
strengths. Among the PWs, good recognition by local governments and stakeholders is
highlighted, leading to growth of the business and visibility (e.g., Belgium, Slovenia,
Croatia, the Netherlands and Romania) and customer satisfaction due to appreciation
of the social objectives of the PWs, the fast and good-quality service and products, the
individual approach towards clients and a lack of order losses, facilitating customer
loyalty (Austria, Croatia, Latvia and Romania). SWs and TWs highlight the high customer
and worker satisfaction due to the quality of goods and services with a meaningful and
visible impact (e.g., Bulgaria, Poland and Romania). It is clear from these descriptions
that reputation is built from a mix of two types of characteristics: those related to being
a ‘good company’ – reliable, punctual, producing good-quality products/services, etc. –
and those related to the appreciation for the mission of work integration. This strength
determines the loyalty of customers, the support of citizens and in some cases even
the support of local administrations.
Reputation is also referred to as an opportunity, in the sense that there are WISEs (e.g.,
SWs in Italy) that believe it is possible to leverage the perception of the social value
generated to strengthen both customer loyalty and community attitudes.
At the same time, there are cases (e.g., SWs in Bulgaria) where there is still little public
awareness of the work done by WISEs. However, apart from this specific statement it
should be noted that all mentions of the reputational element in the ‘helpful’ column
concern relations with direct stakeholders, whereas relations with an extended public
are less mentioned. This outcome is consistent with what is also highlighted in the in-
depth study on technology, where certain widespread weaknesses emerge in terms of
external communication (websites, while existing, sometimes poorly maintained,
limited social presence, promotional multimedia products not widely disseminated).
2.4.3.2 Entrepreneurial items

Entrepreneurial aspects are among the most mentioned by all WISE types, both in the
helpful and harmful categories.
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2.4.3.3 Digitalisation and technologies
Given the purposes of B-WISE, the first theme that is useful to explore is that of
digitalisation. The issue of digitalisation is mentioned in all four items of the SWOT
analysis.
PWs are the WISEs where the greatest examples of technological development can be
found. Many of these companies have in recent years made substantial investments in
various areas of technology. The significant integration of technology and digitalisation
in the production cycle raises the issue of the lack of digital skills of workers and the
use of technology, which is a problem when facing competition (e.g., in Austria, Croatia,
the Netherlands and Spain). Digitalisation and technological enhancement are
mentioned in the opportunities quadrant too; for example, opportunities related to the
development of online sales, the field of circular economy and in general the
improvement of production processes (e.g., in Belgium, the Netherlands and Romania)
are mentioned. These WISEs, which often make very significant investments in
technological facilities, highlight the opportunity for supportive public policies to
facilitate these investments.
SWs consider digitalisation as a weakness, because they note that digitalisation usually
occurs more quickly than they can react. Some SWs try to develop digital technology,
but usually they feel themselves not digitalised enough. Regarding attitudes, it is
generally considered necessary that supporters and enablers develop new skills and
educate themselves to be aware of the newest developments; but among SWs, the
development of technology is often perceived as a threat and a factor that will lead to
even greater exclusion of WSNs, who will be even more unsuitable for the job.
When it comes to TWs, the situation is complex: on the one hand, there are cases
where the digital element is a strength, as these WISEs can take advantage of
equipment available for training activities: these WISEs successfully adapt learning
equipment to production; on the other hand, there are cases where they see that
acting with this logic means having obsolete tools that are unsuitable to meet the
challenges of the production cycle.
2.4.3.4 Growth
All WISEs see growth as an opportunity. Although most look to a local market, there are
some WISEs that see the possibility of expanding nationally and internationally,
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including by making customers (individuals, enterprises and public administrations)
aware of the social value of WISEs’ products. Entrepreneurial development is seen as
the means to offer opportunities for integration to more and more WSNs. The
willingness to develop new activities and the consideration of technology as an
opportunity to be developed opens the field for skill-building that subsequent project
phases can develop.
2.4.3.5 Production
PWs widely emphasise that one of their strengths lies in their production capacities.
WISEs provide an ‘added value’ compared to ordinary enterprises: short distances to
customers and delivery time, positive ecological effects, etc. (e.g., Austria and Spain).
Working in different sectors can bring economic success and growth (e. g., Austria,
Croatia and the Netherlands). WISEs’ services are of high quality, something often also
attested to by certifications (e.g., in Italy, Latvia and the Netherlands). With respect to
weaknesses, PWs show a certain slowness in making structural and organisational
changes; moreover, it is sometimes challenging to reconcile productive activity with the
presence of WSNs.
On the issue of production, SWs show a different sensitivity to that previously reported
of PWs; in fact, most of the SWOT analyses of these WISEs place aspects relating to
production among the weaknesses. Entrepreneurial weakness is reported in SWs in
Italy, Croatia and Latvia; these WISEs find difficulties in developing economic activities
due to lower quality of production or lack of business knowledge and skills, or simply
for shortcomings of the leadership. Workers often find it difficult to fit into production
cycles, either because they are primarily motivated by a social vocation or due to a lack
of professional experience. Moreover, the type of disadvantage of WSNs often makes
efficient production particularly difficult. These are the WISEs that also see the
production aspect as a possible threat, particularly as they feel exposed to the
economic crises that have already led to a decrease in production in recent periods.
2.4.3.6 Competition
Exposure to competition is cited among the threats facing WISEs. In some cases,
especially among SWs, competition is feared because they feel entrepreneurially weak
and therefore vulnerable in relation to competitors; in other cases, especially among
PWs, competition is highlighted as an issue that arises especially in the face of the
economic crisis, which leads to the search for cheaper production, where non-WISEs
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manage to be more competitive. In general, WISEs, although not without their
strengths, face production challenges, sometimes competing with companies that do
not have to take on the labour integration of WSNs with little support, and therefore
this challenge, where they are not on an equal footing, often becomes very demanding.
2.4.3.7 Marketing
The topic of marketing is mentioned to a limited extent in the SWOT analysis, but
generally in the area of weaknesses. There are different situations, but the perception
of weaknesses that emerges from some of the case studies is consistent with what has
been reconstructed on some of the items relating to the use of technology, where
customer relationship management (CRM) systems, outward communication and
online sales strategies are not very widespread.
2.4.3.8 Sustainability
The situation of economic and financial balance is cited by some PWs as an element of
strength, also marking the difference with other non-profit organisations not oriented
towards entrepreneurial action. It is noted that many WISEs managed to maintain a
good economic condition even in difficult times such as the 2008–2011 crisis and the
Covid-19 pandemic.
2.4.3.9 Support
This section will examine the issue of support for WISEs, considering both the public
policy aspect and other forms of fundraising. As will be seen, these issues appear
among both ‘helpful’ and ‘harmful’ elements.
Public policy support is considered by WISEs as both an opportunity and a threat (in the
sense that it is feared it will diminish or remain insufficient). This is the focus of analysis
by PWs especially. Let us first examine this support as an opportunity. WISEs see
opportunities for financial support from public authorities (e.g., Greece, Italy, Slovenia,
Spain and Poland) through reserved tenders (e.g., Italy) and European funds (e.g., Spain
and Romania). Public policies, these WISEs note, could become an important source of
support, e.g. through the purchase by public administrations of goods and services
produced by WISEs or through forms of support for the creation, consolidation and
growth of WISEs. SWs and TWs highlight among their strengths the ability to attract
resources, being recognised for the social value of their work. In some national
contexts (e.g., Romania and Bulgaria), TWs see additional funding opportunities related
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to their ability to combine entrepreneurial and educational aspects. Public policies can
also focus on specific support such as technological investments and the reinforcement
of digitalisation or communication initiatives aimed at ensuring greater visibility and
social recognition of WISEs. This, of course, requires an awareness of the importance of
the social product of WISEs.
This issue will be taken up in the concluding phase, where consequences related to the
disavowal of labour integration as a product of social value will be analysed. In
summary, the issue is as follows: where this awareness seems to be lacking,
opportunity turns into threat. This means not enough government funding options and
public support (e.g., Italy, Greece and Romania) and a lack of possibilities to use
European funds (e.g., Greece and Romania) as the social economy is not seen as a
solution by the authorities and legislation is not clear and adapted to WISEs’ needs’.
(e.g., Romania). When awareness of the importance of the social product of WISEs is
lacking, it may also happen that reserved contracts are legally possible (e.g., Italy,
Greece and the Netherlands) but, in many territories, they are hardly used (e.g., the
Netherlands and Italy). In other cases, the lack of sensitivity of public administrations
results in delayed payments, causing severe limitations in terms of cash liquidity (e.g.,
Greece). This makes the relationship with the public administration, instead of
representing an opportunity, a threat, because it entices WISEs with the prospect of
large contracts that are then unmanageable when it comes to payment and end up
putting WISEs in great difficulty.
A different kind of observation about threats related to funding comes from the world
of Productive WISEs. This is the fear that WISEs will become too dependent on
supportive policies and lose their entrepreneurial characteristics. This reasoning
extends to all types of support, public as well as private (e.g., donations), classifiable as
a subsidy and thus distances WISEs from their entrepreneurial spirit. Certainly, this
concern denotes an organisational culture strongly oriented toward economic
independence and entrepreneurship. In some contexts – former sheltered workshops
that need to initiate a transition to a WISE model or national contexts where revenues
other than the sale of goods and services are prevalent – this is a positive and
supportable expression of social entrepreneurship. However, it can constitute – in
countries with a limited level of support – a kind of ‘Stockholm syndrome’ that makes
WISEs incapable of evaluating the resources actually needed to ensure adequate
quality of integration processes.
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Finally, again on the threat front, there are WISEs in some national contexts that fear
competition from new social economy entities that might contend with WISEs for the
limited resources available to them.
2.4.3.10 Partnership
The ability to create partnerships is one of the main features of WISEs. Not surprisingly,
it figures among the ‘helpful elements’ – strengths and opportunities – for all types of
WISEs, while it is never mentioned among the ‘harmful’ elements.
The theme of partnership is articulated by WISEs in many ways.
A first aspect is that of collaboration with partners to facilitate the work integration of
WSNs. There are, on the part of WISEs, numerous attestations of collaborations with
different entities that contribute to the process of integrating WSNs. This can be done
in many ways.
It can be public or private entities that care for WSNs in aspects other than
employment but cooperate with the WISE as part of a coordinated integration process.
These may be for-profit enterprises willing to hire WSNs after a period of stay in the
WISE, especially where the WISE adopts a temporary integration model; in such cases, a
relationship of mutual trust is often established between the WISE and the non-WISE
enterprise: the non-WISE enterprise appreciates the WISE’s ability to prepare people for
the next job placement, both from a soft skills and professionalism perspective; the
WISE appreciates the social responsibility of the non-WISE enterprise and its willingness
to cooperate for the integration of WSNs. In these cases, collaboration on the issue of
work integration can be accompanied by entrepreneurial partnerships, which can be
carried out in different ways, from outsourcing orders from the non-WISE enterprise to
the WISE, to investing in joint entrepreneurial activities. In addition, in some countries
(e.g., Italy), there are systems that allow non-WISE companies to fulfil a part of the
obligation to hire WSNs, outsourcing orders to WISEs; this can foster relationships
between WISE and non-WISE companies.
There are many cases of partnerships with public administrations, which, beyond
operational support, may concern the common desire to raise awareness in the
community on issues of inclusion and work integration.
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A specific type of partnership that concerns TWs and SWs is the one that binds WISEs
with a parent company that supports WISEs in different ways (economically, by
providing equipment and real estate, sharing the personnel costs of enablers, digital
expertise, networking frameworks and regional anchoring, etc.). The theme is
deepened on p. 233, par. 5.1.3.
2.4.3.11 Human resources

Human resources in companies, in general, and particularly in WISEs, are a key element
in the internal and external functioning of the structure. Indeed, they play an essential
role for many reasons, since they actively participate in the various developments and
deployments of the organisation. This element within the WISEs is therefore important
as it allows for human development and employee fulfilment within the WISE. Ensuring
a good, qualified team that understands the specific needs of each employee is
therefore an invaluable asset and a specific strategy, since it would positively impact
the reputation, growth and visibility of the WISE. Thus, the topic of human resources
was one of the main points raised during the interviews with the various WISEs in the
countries participating in the project. Among the elements falling into the category of
human resources, three were predominant and are as follows: the team, the workers’
skills and the placement of Workers with Support Needs.
2.4.3.12 The team

All types of WISEs consider the team to be one of their strengths, but at the same time
one of their weaknesses. Let us therefore see the terms in which this apparent
contradiction develops. The team’s strengths lie in several elements, across different
types of WISE. First of all, elements such as adherence to the WISE’s values and more
generally identification with values of solidarity and inclusion, the motivation that
drives people to work diligently, the ability to establish close relations with the local
community and the sense of belonging are reported: these are elements that refer to
the sphere of values and represent a characterising element for WISEs. But in addition
to this, being prepared, productive, flexible, able to collaborate and experienced are
mentioned. The leadership skills of the enablers and the specific professional
competence of the supporters who are able to work best with WSNs are also
mentioned. But at the same time, significant criticism emerges with respect to the work
team, which is reported in the SWOT analysis as elements of weakness.
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The first two elements concern the management team. Some of the leadership group is
old, and it is difficult to carry out a generational change. This is a phenomenon
particularly felt in some countries (e.g., Italy and Belgium), and its causes and
consequences must be examined in-depth. Among the causes are the unattractiveness
– including economic – of some WISEs, the fact that they have developed around a
specific charismatic person who has centralised everything on herself or himself, the
difficulty of conceiving different roles for ageing managers and so on. Among the
consequences, one can observe the risk to the continuity of the WISE when the old
executive retires. The same issue is highlighted in a complementary way as the
difficulty in transmitting the values and mission of WISEs to young leaders, including
the willingness to devote the same amount of energy to it as the previous generation.
Another critical area is that of the intermediate figures: administration, communication,

heads of specific activities, etc., who are sometimes inadequate and have little sense of
responsibility. This may stem from the difficulty of conveying adherence to the WISE’s
mission outside the management team as well as recruitment difficulties. In some
countries (e.g., Romania, Croatia and Bulgaria), difficulties emerge in SWs in investing in
human resources and sometimes the staff consists of unskilled young people whose
productivity and competence are low; this implies the need for permanent supervision
of the staff. SWs themselves sometimes encounter difficulties in finding competent
persons to support WSNs in carrying out the company’s economic tasks; this creates a
lower productivity level (e.g., Croatia, Poland and Romania). Finally, it is pointed out in
several countries that those working in WISEs are under great pressure, which may
push people to leave the WISE, become demotivated or risk burnout. Some WISEs see
the difficulty recruiting staff (e.g., Bulgaria and Croatia) and finding personnel and
particularly young and qualified people due to low economic levels (e.g., Italy and the
Netherlands) as a threat.
2.4.3.13 WSNs
Contrasting elements also emerge with respect to WSNs. Among the points of strength,
there is the will of WSNs to rebuild a positive existence that leads them to be good
workers. The TWs also list among the strengths the attractiveness of WISEs for WSNs
due to the issuance of certificates on the skills acquired that are then expendable on
the primary labour market. But there are weaknesses too. Sometimes the issue is that
the mindset of WSNs is not work-related (e.g., Bulgaria) and this recalls once again the
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need for WISEs to be equipped to work on soft skills. Other WISEs (usually PWs)
reported the problem of a ‘lack of qualified Workers with Support Needs’. This is a
matter inherent in being a WISE; it is no coincidence that some WISEs claim to choose
simple working environments because WSNs would not be able to work in more
complex sectors. But it is equally reasonable that other WISEs want to deal with more
complex production sectors and that can lead to greater business solidity and
therefore to more qualified and stable jobs for WSNs; however, in this way they risk
encountering difficulties in finding WSNs able to occupy the job positions. In the
solution to this dilemma there is the key to the entrepreneurial and social success of
the WISEs.
2.4.3.14 Placement
Some WISEs (TWs and PWs) reported the opportunity to develop the placement of
Workers with Support Needs in the regular market through their integration in non-
WISE companies (e.g., Austria, Greece and France); this may happen by matching the
training with the skills required in the regular labour market (e.g., Austria, Bulgaria and
the Netherlands).
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3 T2.2 – PERSONAS: WHO WORKS IN THE
WISES
The national partners carrying out the case studies identified a set of persona profiles
relating to enablers, supporters and WSNs. This phase of work therefore produced a
very rich – but at the same time fragmented – picture. It was hence necessary to
identify similarities between profiles described in different countries in order to arrive
at a limited number of profiles common to the 13 countries participating in the B-WISE
project.
After having noted all the profiles described by each partner, the work of grouping and
aggregating similar profiles was started. In this way, the following number of profiles
were identified: five enablers, three supporters and four WSNs. An additional profile
was then identified that is probably outside the scope of B-WISE and relates to staff
members (administrative employees, planners, communication staff, etc.) who are
neither enablers nor supporters and do not work directly with WSNs. This profile was
not examined in-depth, but it was nevertheless considered useful to point out the
presence of this component as well.
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The next task was to ‘purge’ the profiles of contingent features, focusing instead on the
core characterising traits. Each profile could in fact contain some elements closely
related to the core characteristics of the profile and other elements that instead have
occasional and contingent characteristics. For instance, the fact that the older category
of enablers (the ‘Almost Retired’ persona), with a long history in the WISE, expresses a
certain fatigue and is mainly oriented towards managing the handing over of
responsibilities to younger enablers, taking for themselves a more and more marginal
role, is a fundamental characteristic of the profile, which is strongly linked to the core
characterising traits. However, in many other cases we found characteristics (a hobby, a
certain type of previous career path, etc.) that could not be linked to essential profile
traits and were therefore not considered in the definition of the final profiles.
The 13 profiles thus obtained were then briefly described, reporting the general
characteristics of the profile, the area of values and skills; an attempt was then made to
capture the biographical aspect with which the personality of the profile develops over
time, with an eye on future directions of development. There is also an in-depth
examination of the relationship of each profile with technologies and finally some
indications are summarised that, based on the above-mentioned characteristics, can be
offered to WP3.
3.1 Enablers
Five enabler profiles were identified:
• The ‘Founder’: leaders of a WISE for many years, they embody its values and make
the most important decisions;
• The ‘Social Enabler’: leaders of a WISE with a social studies or humanities profile,
they represent the social soul of a WISE;
• The ‘Almost Retired’: leaders of a WISE for many years, they are close to
retirement, a bit tired and sometimes disillusioned;
• The ‘Tech Enabler’: they come from technical professions and want to bring their
expertise to a WISE; but sometimes the two worlds have difficulty meeting;
• The ‘Beginner’: they are young, with a lot of enthusiasm and little experience,
grappling with the challenge of running a WISE they have recently created.
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3.1.1 The Founder
The Founder is a fairly widespread Personas profile. Founders can be found in the
Netherlands, Greece, Croatia, Austria, Romania, Latvia, Slovenia, Croatia and Italy.
3.1.1.1 Past in the WISE and work experiences

The history of the WISE and that of the Founders often intertwine. The Founders have
been active in the WISE for many years; in some cases they were its first leaders, in
others they were in the group that started the WISE. Some of them also have personal
interests such as being a parent of a beneficiary, which pushes them to create a social
enterprise. In some cases, this profile has had different experiences in its career;
however, these are always in the field of social economy and/or non-governmental
organisations. Nevertheless, the Founders have a career within the WISE, where they
have legitimised themselves as leaders and are now recognised as the persons who
lead the WISE by embodying its values and mission.
3.1.1.2 General information

Aged between 45 and 55 years old, they have a high-level educational background,
holding a university degree or postgraduate degrees in disciplines related to social
sciences, social enterprise management, economics, law or the humanities. They have
done in-depth training with respect to the management of social enterprises and have
also trained themself by seeing and learning about social enterprises in their country
and in Europe and by learning from other experiences.
3.1.1.3 Characteristics and soft skills

They are the leaders and the most prominent persons in representing the WISE (or
sometimes the WISE movement) to external stakeholders. They are eloquent and have
excellent communication skills, which are generally not professional but instinctive.
They have innate leadership skills, which they tend to exercise in a collaborative style,
also thanks to some of their charismatic traits.
3.1.1.4 Values and behaviours

The Founders have a strong commitment to solidaristic values, are highly motivated,
moved by ideals of social change and believe that it is possible to overcome
discrimination and to socially and professionally integrate many people who are
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excluded from this opportunity today. For this reason, they are involved in politics in
order to influence decision-making at the local level. They want to work towards this
goal, towards which they pour enthusiasm and energy. This passion makes them
capable of carrying very heavy workloads. Their social vocation does not contrast with
their attention to economic and management aspects: the Founders know that their
project of change requires solid economic foundations, and they want to work hard to
build it.
3.1.1.5 Current role and tasks in the WISE

In the WISE, they have a leading role in every important decision. They have a very
broad set of tasks and competences, which they exercise, depending on the size of the
organisation, directly or with the help of a staff, ranging from strategic aspects (mission
and development directions) to managerial ones (budget governance, operational and
organisational choices).
They are also the organisation’s head, representing it in public and building
relationships with other organisations to build partnerships. They have a role of some
visibility at local and sometimes national level. They may be involved in representative
organisations and are often courted by politicians, with whom they have good
relations, although they sometimes express disappointment at the bureaucratic and
insensitive approach of institutions.
3.1.1.6 Future perspectives

They see themselves in the future still at the helm of the WISE, for which they would
like to imagine new development paths.
3.1.1.7 Connection with technology

They are well acquainted with digital technologies, which they use both in their
personal life and at work. They are often the typical ‘advanced users’ who are able to
use digital technologies even beyond the basic functions that different software offers,
both in office automation and specific software related to their work. They also make
fluent use of messaging and remote communication technologies, which have become
widespread for managing relationships, especially in the last couple of years. In some
cases, they use the most popular and most work-related social medias, such as
LinkedIn or Facebook. At the same time, it should not be forgotten that both their
background and the focus of their interests are predominantly social and humanistic,
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so the Founders do not have a ‘technical’ mentality and therefore it does not come
naturally to them to lead technology-based development of the WISE.
3.1.1.8 Needs for skills enhancement

They are naturally curious and attentive to new development opportunities. They are
ambitious, driven to undertake new things and to acquire the necessary skills for this.
3.1.1.9 Recommendations for WP3

The Founders are central figures for WISEs. The fact that they are more or less
aware of the potential of the digital dimension is central for defining the
orientation of WISEs on this issue. What is important with respect to these
Personas is not so much to increase their technical competences on specific
topics but to ensure that they can grasp the possibilities of development. It is
difficult for such a profile at this point in their career to strengthen their skills
by taking part in a structured training activity, but it is possible to ignite their
curiosity by having them visit advanced organisations or by placing them side
by side with people capable of translating their visions through advanced
technological solutions.
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3.1.2 The Social Enabler
The Social Enabler is a fairly widespread Personas in WISEs from Belgium, Latvia,
Austria, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, the Netherlands, Croatia, Spain, Poland and Italy.

The Social Enablers have an average of 15 years of working experience in different
sectors and positions. Before becoming an enabler, they worked in the same WISE (or
sometimes in other organisations) as psychologists who worked with vulnerable
groups, political scientists, former volunteers, trainers, job coaches or supporters.
Therefore, even if this persona had different job positions, they mainly had an internal
career at the WISE.

Predominantly between 25 and 50 years old, the Social Enablers are usually highly
qualified and well-educated persons. They hold a university degree in the field of social
work, history, business administration and management, political sciences and
government, law, sociology, psychology, human resources or economics. Out of the
desire to get more knowledge, during their career they attended trainings and courses
on social fields after joining the WISE, or courses on self-development, mediation,
motivational conversations and project management to improve their skills, as their
own development was important. As determined and motivated persons, they continue
to attend some trainings such as coaching in order to be able to help the WSNs to solve
their issues on their own.

They are highly motivated and determined with strong leadership skills. Usually, they
have innovative ideas and a sense of sacrifice and hard work. Due to their knowledge
and expertise, they know the needs of the WSNs very well. They are open and
supportive people.

The Social Enablers are inspired by the social, human and environmental missions of the
WISE and believe in an inclusive society through an inclusive labour market. They have a
clear social drive with a strong commitment to the WISE and can be members of various
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associations. They believe that every human being has value and that is the reason for his
or her presence in the WISE. Sometimes, it may be that they have a personal motivation
for becoming interested in social work, such as having family members with disabilities or
other needs that have led them to be beneficiaries of social intervention (sometimes by
the WISE itself). The Social Enablers are optimistic, passionate, committed, structured and
loyal to the missions and values that they care. As a person of confidence, the WSNs trust
them, as they listen to their issues and have good relationships with their colleagues.
However, some of them may have some doubts because they found the social inspiration
unrealistic due to the ignorance of public authorities and the competition between WISEs
and with other companies. In other words, they believe they have an idealistic approach
that is disconnected from reality.

In the WISE, they oversee the management of the enterprise. They are a highly
experienced director, team leader of job integration training or EU project manager.
They take care of employees, maintain relationships with departments and customers,
make decisions on further development and run the day-care centre for many years.
Regarding the development of the WISE, they help it transition to becoming modernised
and ready for the future. The Social Enablers may have received a promotion within the
WISE or joined it as they found a way to lead with a specific meaning. They could not
imagine themselves in another job.

They would like to continue their self-development by taking more relevant courses
linked to their work and to acquire more responsibilities. Although they would like to
play an important role, it may also be possible for them to consider different career
options from time to time. Concerning the future of the WISE, they hope that it will
become more financially independent and grow by developing its current activities, but
also increase income and initiatives, and have more skilled staff directly working with
the WSNs.

This profile brings together people with different technological skills and attitudes
towards technology. Most of the Social Enablers, however, use technology in a fashion
typical of people who are highly educated and they are advanced users of technology in
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their personal and professional life, as they use it frequently and easily. The Social
Enablers are actively looking at the issue of digitalisation and the application of
technology. Moreover, they perceive it as a tool to stimulate work integration and are
willing to make it deployable if it turns out to be necessary. Usually, they are aware that
the future brings new technologies and want to develop tools within the WISE such as
photo editing and creating publications in Adobe InDesign and Microsoft PowerPoint.
They appreciate learning more about technology and propose implementing a
digitalisation strategy for all management and production processes. Sometimes, the
Social Enablers can also take different positions; even if they personally frequently use
technologies, some of them may consider that the WISE has enough technology, and the
only needs are soft management programs like ERP and cloud management tools. Also,
they think that the use of digitalisation is a boon and bane and that technology is an
important tool in our society, but human relations are even more important.

They are usually open to learning more and attending training linked to their work even if
they developed the necessary professional skills during their career. These people are
interested to learn about team management and improve their communication as they
are always willing to evolve and be trained further. Some of them have limited
entrepreneurial experience and less knowledge of business management. Certain job
positions require developed organisational and leadership competencies; some trainings
are essential to fit with these demands.

In organisations such as WISEs that particularly appreciate mission adherence
and value orientation, the Social Enablers are constantly exposed to the risk of
the ‘incompetence principle’ (or ‘Peter principle’): that is, of being entrusted
with increasingly demanding management functions due to the fact that one
is a capable and willing person, and then of succeeding up to a certain level,
thanks to one’s starting cultural heritage, responding with enthusiasm and
success to the professional challenges posed to him/her, until subsequent
‘promotions’ place this person in positions objectively beyond his/her reach,
either due to a lack of skills, or because he/she is asked by the WISE to take on
tasks that are extraneous to the person’s vocation. The areas in which the
Social Enablers are most exposed to this risk are organisational, managerial
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and economic, and therefore reinforcement actions may generally concern
aspects related to leadership, organisational responsibilities, etc. There are
probably no reasons (apart from possibly individual passions) for
systematically targeting these figures for competence-building actions in the
area of technology.
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3.1.3 The Almost Retired
The Almost Retired have spent many years at the helm of their WISE, often in top
positions. They are long-standing leaders with strong skills and are known and
respected in their community. Today, they are nearing the end of their career. It is time
for the Almost Retired to take stock: of what they have achieved and what they have
failed to do. But above all, it is time to think about the fact that retirement is
approaching, that it is time to encourage a handover to younger people. They are torn:
the WISE is their life, but they are aware that they are not the future of the WISE and
they are a bit tired. The Almost Retired can be observed in many countries, such as in
Croatia, Italy, France and Slovenia.

Usually, since the beginning or for a long time, the careers of these people have been in
the WISE. This profile has occupied many positions but the prevailing one is the
position of the manager, and it is the person who guided the WISE through the various
different transformations. Therefore, these people know all the processes that can be
relevant for the WISE. Older businesspersons who worked for many years, they
devoted their life to the social economy sector.

The Almost Retired are 55–65 years old. They have a high degree of education in the
field of humanities, socio-economics or engineering.

Idealistic and motivated people, they have very good leadership skills with a significant
network that could help the development of the WISE. This potential network can
create collaboration with other social economy organisations and with relevant
stakeholders in their area even though this relationship can also be sometimes
conflictual. Although some can be conflictual, they maintain good communication with
the local authorities and with their subordinates. They are knowledgeable, very warm
and calm people enjoying a good reputation in the community.
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Guided by a strong ethical drive with principles of equality and social solidarity, they are
sometimes inspired by religious ideals and sometimes have a secular desire to share
paths of emancipation with people in situations of social hardship and marginality.
However, as they wish to maintain the business over improving it, sometimes they tend
to maintain distance from their employees. The Almost Retired know that they have
achieved many things, but they are also aware that many of the social changes they
fought for have not been realised and feel they do not have sufficient energy to take on
new challenges. Sometimes they are inclined to remember a ‘golden age’ of social
ferment and change, which is different from the current one in which people are
people are less willing to commit to social change.

They have neither the ambition nor desire to significantly change the way that the WISE
operates. They are enthusiastic about working for the WISE but they are starting to feel
fatigue. Although they are not social workers, they have enough experience to handle
the WISE through complex systems of remuneration and government assistance.
Moreover, they are the leader, and their role is to manage and to maintain the position
of the WISE or improve it through their significant network of business and government
contact. This network allows them to secure funding and beneficial contracts as they
are concerned about the future of their WISE.

They are usually waiting to retire, but they have some concerns and fears regarding the
future of the WISE after their retirement. Consequently, they would like to transmit
their expertise and knowledge regarding all aspects of the management of the WISE.

They are aware of the importance of technology and know that digital tools will
become more strategically important for the future development of the WISE. They try
to stay up to date and during the pandemic managed to overcome initial uncertainties
and use several platforms for online meetings (e.g., Zoom, Meet, GotoMeeting, etc.);
they have sufficient digital skills for basic communication such as e-mail, social media
and online platforms for holding meetings. Therefore, technology is adopted as needed
to expand or minimise expenses. On the other hand, some of them think that the
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meaning of their work lies in direct contact with people and have some insurmountable
limits to their digital skills.

Due to their age and approaching retirement, they have no desire for additional
training. They will hardly be able to invest personally in strengthening their digital skills.
They think that their skills are in line with the needs of the workplace. As for other
enablers, it is more important working on their vision rather than on their skills.
However, as they are still the leaders of the WISE, they need to enhance some aspects
such as marketing and modern techniques.

For this profile, skills enhancement is not a priority; instead, it is important to
support complex organisational processes that lead the WISE to transition from
established leadership to a future that is yet to be defined. This process involves
many delicate aspects: 1) strengthening the managerial competences of the
new generation, 2) overcoming the perception of the Almost Retired that they
are indispensable and irreplaceable and 3) outlining ‘exit’ career paths that
valorise the role of those who have served the WISE for many years and who
should not feel forgotten and excluded (e.g., they can continue to collaborate
without the burden of organisational responsibilities such as cultural aspects
or training); this helps encourage the Almost Retired to facilitate the transfer of
responsibilities to younger enablers.
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3.1.4 The Tech Enabler
The Tech Enabler is a common profile for someone that is leading the WISE and can be
seen in Belgium, Italy, Austria, Poland and Bulgaria.

Usually, the Tech Enablers have been working in the same WISE for 15–20 years.
However, in some cases, they approached the WISE after a high-level professional
career in for-profit enterprises or worked in private enterprises and coaching on
changes in digital attitudes for more than 10 years. They occupied many positions in
the past as industrial engineers with a strong interest in innovative technologies. Most
of them joined a WISE because they wanted to give a different meaning to their
existence and the work that they were doing.

The Tech Enablers are over the age of 35. They are highly educated and hold a degree
in the field of IT, science, economics, engineering, communication and media or
business administration.

They are highly professional and have strong leadership skills regarding management
of WISEs. They are relatively optimistic, structured and rational and these personal
aspects enable them to keep the many activities they oversee under control.
3.1.4.4 Values and behaviour

They are fascinated by the social and sustainable mission of the WISE and inspired by
the principles of warmth and informality. In some cases, Tech Enablers are quite
impatient with the WISE’s resistance to change and prefer to keep all the
responsibilities, as they do not delegate them to their colleagues. Therefore, it is
difficult for the staff to reach them, as they are always busy and overwhelmed. They
can also be misunderstood by their colleagues as they have a different language,
development vision and corporate culture due to their past experiences. This leads to
distance and loneliness.
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In the WISE, they have managed to successfully create a good team to achieve an
excellent production cycle. In addition, they also provide support for the WSNs.

They would like to acquire more knowledge and expertise as they have a strong desire
for change. They respect the tradition of the WISE but, at the same time, believe that
some changes must be made in order to make the WISE more efficient, productive and
technological and less bureaucratic. According to them, the use of digital technology is
an important element for the future of the WISE. Indeed, they think that digitalisation
will enhance integration into the labour market for vulnerable groups.

They are very familiar with technological and digital aspects. The Tech Enablers trust
technology as an engine of innovation and creative new processes and would like to
speed up the acquisition of tools. According to them, a fully prepared WISE needs a
digital offensive such as an adequate learning platform, web shop and/or electronic
time registration. However, a well-prepared digital WISE requires named contact
persons who have time and financial resources, who collaborate with the management
and related departments and who lead a team of decentralised people who are
responsible for single tasks. They are sure that digitalisation is not related to peoples’
age and educational background, but depends on their attitude and interests.
Digitalisation will enhance integration into the labour market for WSNs.

The Tech Enablers think that they have developed the necessary professional skills
during their career. Although they are driven by the social values of the WISE, they are
less interested in communication and social skills. Nevertheless, they are ready to learn
more about technology and new training in general.

The successful integration of this enabler profile into the WISE management
team can be decisive. It can lead the WISE to evolve in a technological and
digital direction much more than training other enablers. The issue that needs
to be handled by training and counselling concerns the organisational
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structure of WISEs. On the one hand, WISEs are fascinated by Tech Enablers;
on the other hand, they have trouble integrating this profile. The Tech Enablers
are fascinated by the idea of dedicating their efforts to a meritorious purpose
such as work integration, but find it difficult to understand the culture and
communication codes of the WISE, even if they have been working there for
many years. The proposed actions may concern a kind of ‘cultural mediation’
between WISEs and Tech Enablers; at the same time, it seems important to
invest significant resources in promoting contact between WISEs and potential
Tech Enabler training sites (techno-scientific universities), facilitating early
contact between young technicians and WISEs (e.g., internships for young
engineers and young computer scientists in WISEs, scholarships enabling
WISEs to cover their costs for one to two years, etc.).
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3.1.5 The Beginner
The Beginner is an uncommon profile among the enablers of WISEs and can be found
in few WISEs.

While many are new directors of WISEs or have taken over for retiring older directors,
the Beginners have little to no experience with social work or are social workers with no
business experience who due to certain circumstances find themselves at a fairly young
age in an executive role in a WISE. This profile has almost no experiences with WSNs or
the management of an enterprise.

They are between 25 and 35 years old and are highly educated, as they hold a
bachelor’s degree in the field of social work.

Relatively young and inexperienced enablers, they are ambitious, idealistic and
competitive with a touch of naivety. Although they can form bonds quickly, it is still
difficult for these people to understand the needs of WSNs.

As motivated people, they would like to see the development of the WISE and are
aware of the organisation’s needs. However, their naivety prevents them from
maintaining the necessary discipline and often leads to supporters taking on the
mantle of authority within the WISE.

In the WISE, they manage the enterprise, but their lack of experience is reflected in the
daily working of the enterprise. Indeed, they have trouble maintaining a profit, securing
contracts and running the WISE as a business. The lack of experience can also be felt in
their relationships with WSNs, burnout and other issues in the workplace, as well as
misinterpretation of behaviour among employees. Moreover, they often overwork or
underutilise their employees.
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As young, motivated people, they intend to attend general learning and training in
order to take on new responsibilities. Their future plans are mostly related to the
development and the growth of the WISE. They desire to seek more employees and
enough experience to have a stable WISE with the ambition to move this enterprise
towards making more profit. Another future perspective is included in their plans such
as having close connections to stakeholders in the local areas.

The Beginners usually use digital tools in the daily work routine in order to expand or
minimise the expenses of the WISE.

Due to their young age and lack of experience, they need to acquire knowledge of
vulnerable groups to better manage burnout and other issues in the enterprise.
Marketing and modern techniques are also part of their needs, particularly with the
aim of developing the WISE in its sector of activity.

This is a profile that is highly inclined to learn new skills and invest in its own
training. It needs wide-ranging support in managerial, relational and technical
skills. They are probably able to find many training resources on their own. An
important added value could be the creation of links with other WISEs and
other social economy organisations because this type of profile is able to learn
from contact with more experienced enablers. It would be useful for
representative and coordinating organisations of WISEs to arrange specific
actions to support Beginners and to enhance their role with stakeholders
(public administrations, for-profit enterprises, etc.).
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3.2 Supporters
Within the partnership, many profiles of supporters with very different histories and
competences emerged; this could have generated a very high number of personas,
with the consequent difficulty of managing the results from the point of view of the
project’s subsequent steps; it was therefore decided to construct the profiles around a
characterising trait as follow:
• The ‘Social Oriented’: the prevailing trait is to have come to the WISE driven by the
desire to professionally help people in need;
• The ‘Professionally Oriented’: these are people who came to the WISE because of
their technical competence in a profession: cooks, plumbers, electricians, tailors,
etc., who at some point in their lives put their skills at the disposal of the WISE;
• The ‘Next Enabler’: here the prevailing element is that the supporter is taking on
more and more responsibilities in the WISE and is preparing to become a future
enabler.
3.2.1 The Social Oriented
Social Oriented supporters are a very common profile in European WISEs; we can find
this profile in many WISEs.

The origin of these supporters can be very diverse. Some of them have been involved
in social work since the beginning of their careers after a training course (educators,
social workers, etc.). But in other cases, the background is different; they may in fact be
people who have worked in very different occupations for several years – tailors,
photographers, plumbers or in repetitive work – but in each of these cases they did not
feel satisfied with their work, and they found themselves almost by chance working as
social workers for a WISE.

These people are mainly female, between 40 and 50 years old. Sometimes they have
completed a training cycle in social work, but in other cases they completed
compulsory schooling and decided to enrol in a professional course; sometimes they
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are bored by the monotonous work. In some cases, they attended evening classes, did
the school-leaving examination and looked for a job.
Sometimes they came from a vulnerable group, and they met the WISE as a WSN; after
a few years, also thanks to the WISE, they regained autonomy and self-esteem and
were able to cope successfully with former problems and became appreciated for their
skills, gaining trust and becoming supporters in their turn; in that case, this today
encourages them to work hard for those who now have problems.

They love being with people and relating to others. They do not like the monotonous
repetition of single tasks. They are eager to learn; flexibility is essential, as well as
empathy.

They think that human beings must be prioritised; they are intrinsically motivated to
generate well-being in society. They are loyal and appreciate and respect the mission
and the values of the WISE. They give the best of themselves and try to teach and
motivate others to value their qualities and abilities.

In the WISE, they are now the foremen of a group of disadvantaged workers. It is
important for them to support WSNs, helping them to understand how to improve
their lives or to develop the skills best suited to them in order to exploit them in the
world of work, whether soft skills or digital skills.
3.2.1.6 Future carrier paths

They are happy to have come to work in the WISE and do not express the intention to
return to the official labour market: they feel they can help people here. Their focus is
on their relationship with people. They would be happy to have tools that relieve them
of some of the practical tasks as team leaders to devote themselves to social work. On
the other hand, they are unenthusiastic about certain practical operational,
monotonous aspects (e.g., giving safety notes).
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These people may have a basic (‘they always like to have a well-constructed
introduction to a new system’) or average (‘they mainly use digital tools for
communication and administration’) knowledge of technology and digital tools. In
general, they think that workers would benefit from blended learning and online
training (easy-to-understand and easy-to-use materials). They would like to increase
their knowledge and gain more self-confidence regarding the use of IT. They are also
positive about technological innovation because it is convenient and makes work faster
and easier, for example: ‘They think that new machines will help to lift heavy materials
and will thus reduce physical efforts’. They are eager to learn new things in this area.

If the Social Oriented comes from non-social study and professional paths, they may
need training that make their innate willingness to help others more professional. They
may also need guidance on how to teach skills to people with comprehension and
sometimes literacy difficulties. Often, they have no easy-to-read material they could use
with WSNs and when they have it available, they fear that this material may be
inadequate or too difficult for WSNs.

They could benefit from easy-to-use support that facilitate some practical
training aspects of the WSNs. They may be the people who are best able to offer
suggestions on how to make programmes and training materials
understandable to WSNs. They are also the key to making WSNs realise the need
to engage in strengthening their skills. The technological field is not at the centre
of their interests, but the Social Oriented supporters could be a reference point
to reflect on the introduction of technologies in the WISE: they could in fact be
able to evaluate how much they decrease the physical effort and monotony of
work, leaving more space to the relationship, and when instead they constitute
insurmountable barriers for the WSNs.
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3.2.2 The Professionally Oriented
We found this profile in Romania, Belgium, Italy and Latvia.

The previous experiences of this supporter can be varied; in some cases, they
encountered the WISE in their youth but then had a different professional career; in
other cases, they always did different jobs. Whatever the origin of these supporters,
they at some point encountered the WISE, which appreciates their professional
qualities and considers them useful for supporting the WSNs in production activities.
This may have happened in different ways: through professional contacts or, often,
through personal relationships, e.g., long-standing relationships with WISE executives;
and, perhaps by chance, the WISE’s need for technical expertise and the Professionally
Oriented supporters’ need for change in life meet. These supporters appreciated the
working atmosphere in the WISE and were happy to put their skills at the service of
work integration. If they had already come across the WISE in their youth, they are now
very happy to have returned to a workplace where from the first moment they felt at
home.

There are no characterisations of these supporters with respect to gender or age.
Generally, their educational level is low, and they start working early.

Colleagues and WSNs appreciate their professional ability. They love to pass on their
skills to other people. It seems to them that this is the best way to put to good use what
they can do. It is natural to turn to them to know ‘how to do a certain thing’ and these
supporters feel valued by this.

They are committed to social value. They love working with people (they love social
contact), and they feel close to and understand the WSNs.
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Starting from their technical expertise in a certain trade, they lead a team in which
WSNs work. These are supporters who instruct the WSNs on how the work is to be
done and who verify its execution.

Most of them feel at home in the WISE and have no intention of changing path. They
have been working in the WISE for the past few years or have returned at some point.
The WISE is their passion; they would like to do more. Sometimes this happens:
technical expertise can lead Professionally Oriented supporters to take on technical or
sectoral responsibilities in the WISE, which is always hungry for excellent people in
production.

Generally, these supporters are very knowledgeable about the technologies that
concern their field of activity; they can, for instance, suggest to WISE managers which
aspects of certain production facilities need to be modernised and they can point out
where technologies are not adequate. If their professional specialisation is IT-related
(e.g., in the case of WISEs performing activities such as data entry, document
digitalisation, etc.), they can directly suggest solutions related to digitalisation.

They want to ‘be better’ in their profession. They wanted to take the project they are
working on to another level but could not do it by themselves. They would be
interested in learning more about management.

This is undoubtedly an important profile for the technological growth of WISEs.
Together with Tech Enablers, they can be an important element of change.
Very often the WISEs find it difficult to hire this type of staff because they come
from professions in which they earn quite high sums of money, which
sometimes the WISEs are not able to offer; in this case, these supporters on
the one hand are pushed towards the WISE because they appreciate its
mission and working climate, but on the other hand they have resistance
related to economic engagement. Strengthening skills is one of the aspects
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where it would be important to work on the strategic and organisational
aspects of WISEs.
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3.2.3 The Next Enablers
This is the most common and most widespread type of supporter profile, found in
most participating countries.
3.2.3.1 Past in the WISE and work experience

Most of them have work experience in the social field, either in the WISE or in previous
work experience. They have already worked with WSNs. Besides having worked in
social work (e.g., as psychologists, social worker, social economists, occupational
therapists, etc.), many of them have experience in the field of human resources.

They are mainly between the ages of 35 and 45. This type of person has a high-level
educational background, holding a degree or postgraduate qualification in disciplines
related to social sciences, mental health sciences or human resources. Although the
majority come from social professions or the humanities, some of them have different
educational backgrounds. Sometimes they can be a former WSNs, and they feel
motivated to bring about change.

They are warm, emotional and empathetic and like social contact and working with
people. They are highly motivated, very patient and communicative. They are always
ready to encourage WSNs and train them. They play a mentoring and supervising role
in the WISE.

The Next Enablers are involved in the social cause. Working in WISEs is their passion.
They are enthusiastic and like to feel useful. They are inspired by the social goal of the
WISE; they choose to work in WISEs for the social contribution that they can make at
this stage in their life. They are motivated to see the results on WSNs. They are inspired
by the vision of work integration of WSNs and by the values of solidarity and social
equity. They may also volunteer in other social projects. Generally, these people are
enthusiastic about their WISE, although this does not exclude that, in some cases,
sharing the mission of the WISE may be accompanied by dissatisfaction with the salary.
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In WISEs, these types of supporters work mainly in directly supporting WSNs (and their
families) during their integration into employment. They are therefore specifically job
coaches/job trainers. Regardless of their background, they play a leading role. Their
work is primarily concerned with supporting WSNs; but for some time, the WISE has
increasingly been offering them management tasks of various kinds, such as
responsibility for certain operational areas or human resources management. This
flatters these supporters but they realise that they do not have enough time to devote
to working with people, which remains their main occupation.

These kinds of supporters are very passionate about their work and have strong
motivation and social commitment. Their professional future plan is to stay connected
with the WISE; they are motivated to see the improvement of WSNs. The project that
the WISE has for them is clear: to make them future enablers who will increasingly take
on management responsibilities.

This profile is not clearly characterised with respect to technology: we can find
supporters with a high level of digital skills (e.g., in Bulgaria, Austria, Belgium, Croatia,
Greece, Italy, Romania, Spain, France, the Netherlands and Slovenia) but others with
very low digital skills (e.g., use of social networks, e-mails, mobile phones). This
distinction does not seem to concern either country of origin or educational level, but
probably an age-related gap. The low digital skills group does not reject the usefulness
of technology outright but uses it only where it is really necessary. On the other hand,
the digitally inclined supporters group strongly believes that their work would be more
fruitful with new technologies. In their opinion, IT skills are crucial, but without
forgetting human contact with people.

They are generally motivated to learn new skills and they consider training a very
important part of their personal development in general. The main question is to
define the direction of training: towards acquiring more technical skills on the work
done with WSNs or towards management skills typical of the enabler?
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For this profile, it is first necessary to define the direction of professional
development. Many WISEs have, as is well known, a prevalence of internal
growth paths: it is normal that the executive does not come via a head-hunter
who finds executives on the market, but from career progression by people
who work in the WISE and gradually gain the trust of colleagues and managers.
Careful consideration must be given to this aspect: it is a strength that
guarantees the continuity of the mission, but at the same time represents a
possible area where the aforementioned ‘incompetence principle’ applies. The
supporter who is identified as a possible future enabler certainly feels
attracted and gratified by the assumption of responsibility; however, one must
be sure that this kind of path accords with the actual vocation of the person
and does not derive only from a ‘sense of duty’ (‘The WISE needs me! I can’t say
no!’).
The first contribution a WISE may need is an organisational analysis of these

aspects. Where the outcome is to support a career path that leads the
supporter to be a manager, it is important to provide adequate time and a
careful analysis of the person’s vocation. The risk in case of a mistake is quite
well known to people who work for a WISE: ‘You are a good supporter, you are
a trustworthy person, you are good with people! Well, from tomorrow you are
the restaurant manager!’ Unfortunately, it is not necessarily the case that all
those who identify with the mission of the WISE and who know how to work
with WSNs are also good managers – or at any rate, that they can become so
spontaneously, without an appropriate growth path. In short, this is the right
person in the wrong place, with disastrous results for both the person and the
WISE…
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3.3 Workers with Support Needs
WSNs profiles are NOT constructed based on a categorical approach (e.g., people with
disabilities, the long-term unemployed, drug addicts, etc.), but on the basis of the
capacity-building needs.
Four profiles were identified using this criterion:
• The ‘Safely Here’: people with significant issues and limited possibilities for growth
who found the WISE a safe environment;
• The ‘Soft-Unskilled’: people whose most significant issue appears to be a lack of
soft skills;
• The ‘Growth-Oriented’: people who have found the WISE a place to grow and aim
to take on more responsibilities (e.g., to become supporters);
• The ‘Revenant’: people who, also thanks to the WISE, have overcome difficult
moments in their lives and now want to prove to themselves and others that they
have become autonomous and can make their way in the world of work.
3.3.1 The Safely Here
The Safely Here is a widespread persona profile. We can find this person in most case
studies (e.g., in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the
Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Spain).

Safely Here have been working in the WISE for many years; in some cases, for more
than 20. For many of them, it is their first and only job. In some cases, they came to the
WISE after negative experiences in their life. The Safely Here who had working
experiences before their current job have rather simple work experience, mainly
manual and repetitive tasks with minimal stress. The Safely Here are satisfied with their
current position and feel secure working in a WISE.
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This profile is not characterised by a particular age group or by being predominantly
male or female. The Safely Here are generally low educated, have interrupted their
studies or have had great difficulty in motivating themselves to complete their studies
due to their abilities or bullying at school. Many of them graduated from support needs
education. In many cases, they attended training courses or workshops at the
beginning of their work at the WISE or acquired the necessary skills and competences
while implementing their daily tasks.
The Safely Here can come from a range of disadvantaged groups: many of them have
psychological and intellectual vulnerabilities (e.g., persons with intellectual disabilities
or psychiatric problems, persons with autism spectrum disorder) that result in cognitive
impairment. Many of them have physical vulnerabilities. We can also observe other
Safely Here who have severe and more types of disabilities. In addition, the Safely Here
can be long-term unemployed (due to low education, discrimination, etc.) or former
convicts. In many cases, the disadvantage is cumulative. These barriers mean that they
need continuous special support during their daily work.

The Safely Here are often confronted with various social challenges due to their family
histories (alcoholism, abuse), social difficulties, school abandonment, health, cognitive
problems or low income (high level of poverty). They tend to be low-skilled due to their
limited cognitive abilities and low education. They therefore have large knowledge
gaps. It is difficult to find jobs adapted to their capacities and sometimes the job must
be adapted to them. They can perform simple and repetitive tasks and can follow a
routine under supervision. They lack problem and conflict resolution skills and
sometimes have communication problems. Through training courses, they can acquire
skills and competences needed for their daily tasks, and these are quite simple. The
Safely Here often do not know or overestimate their limits and capabilities. They
sometimes feel insecure and fear being judged. They are more emotional than rational.
In many cases, they are eager to try new things and are motivated to improve their
skills and knowledge. In other cases, however, there are Safely Here who have no
desire to learn more due to their age, conditions or bad experiences. These persons
are more pessimistic and could be entirely without hope.
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Most Safely Here value their current job very highly and it is very important to them.
They would like to be valued member of society. They therefore are hard-working and
satisfied with their daily tasks and many are proud of the salaries they earn
themselves. They would like to have a quiet life and stable job and stay at WISE until
retirement. They need a place where they are treated as valuable people and need
stability and regularity in their lives. They feel safe at the WISE. Safely Here need regular
support not only in their work but often in their daily lives. (Some of them receive this
support from their family but there are Safely Here without family who are supported
by the WISE.) Most of them like social relationships and do not like to be alone. The
pessimistic Safely Here often think that all the negative experiences that have
happened in their life is the fault of others. They need more time, support and patience
from others to better appreciate themselves and their job. Most Safely Here are
motivated workers whose main aim to be as independent as possible in their life.
3.3.1.5 Current role and tasks

On a typical day, Safely Here take their place in WISEs where they carry out their simple
and repetitive tasks, many of them with ongoing support. Their tasks may include
stocking, counting, sorting, (re)packaging, preparing products, taking orders, making
handmade products, cleaning, helping in the kitchen, preparing meals, etc. They are
mainly employed in jobs with minimal stress and responsibility.

Most Safely Here aim to keep their current job because it is safe and not stressful and
they value the trust of the social enterprise manager. They enjoy working in a team and
belonging. One “Safely Here” persona commented: ‘I wouldn’t trade this job for
anything in the world.’ Many of them would like to retire from where they currently
work.
It can be observed that without the professional and social support provided by the
WISE or the parent organisation, Safely Here would have a minimal chance of
overcoming the difficulties of working independently in the open labour market.

Most Safely Here have low or basic digital skills and use technology mainly for personal
purposes at a basic level: mobile phones, e-mail, social media, Google searches, apps,
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visiting websites, shopping online, watching movies and TV shows, etc. In some cases,
they do not use any digital skills at work or at home.
They are not interested in using digital skills to a higher level and in spending energy
and time learning new technologies. They do not really see how technology could be
useful in their work and are not excited by the digital world. Some are even intimated
by technology. However, there are also Safely Here, while having doubts about
technology, who are open to developing the skills they need to their job.
During Covid-19, many Safely Here learned to use Skype, Viber and Zoom, which
helped them in their personal and professional lives (communicating with others,
booking appointments, etc.).

Most Safely Here are not interested in developing their skills but since they are very
loyal and motivated in their current job, they are highly keen to learn new skills to meet
the demands of their job. Therefore, they are open to new demands and opportunities,
especially if they are implemented at their workplace. Most of them understand that
they need to work to improve themselves, but not to seek more responsibilities and to
strengthen their skills. Cognitive barriers can also be a reason for low motivation to
develop skills. Therefore, most of them need ongoing support in their learning process.

Training courses are needed to help them to maintain their position, improve
their soft skills (basic skills, problem solving, communication skills) and boost
their self-confidence. Videos, images, repetitive tasks and easy-to-read content
could be helpful for them. They learn slowly and need lots of support and
patience. In addition to training courses, they need social support. Digital skills
make their daily tasks easier but only at a basic level. In any case, the goal for
this profile is not to aim for a job in the external labour market, nor is it to take
on more responsibility in the WISE or to grow professionally. The job is an
important element of a person’s care programme and enhances the person’s
residual capacities. First and foremost, training means recognising that the
Safely Here has skills that WISE can put to good use; everything he/she learns
will improve his or her self-esteem and bond with the WISE.
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3.3.2 The Soft-Unskilled
This is a very common profile. In some participating countries (e.g., Belgium, Croatia,
Latvia and Romania), the ‘Soft-Unskilled’ personality profile can be observed, but it is
probably present in all countries.

Soft-Unskilled persons work for the WISE since they could not find job in the regular
labour market because they have a disability or disadvantage that prevents them from
finding a job and from being socially included. Even when the professional skills are
there, the problem is that they lack personal stability, the ability to relate to others, the
ability to respect rules and to stay within the work environment, etc. The causes may be
different, either social (a problematic family, leaving school early, involvement in
deviant lifestyles as a child) or physical (either related to mental health problems or to
traumatic events such as a car or work accident). Whatever the cause, these people
have lost contact with the normal social context and have lived on the margins for
many years; if they have held jobs, they have lost them in a short time; they are
intolerant of the rules of coexistence and working environments; and they lack certain
fundamental skills to be able to rebuild a position in society.

This profile is not characterised by a particular age group or by being predominantly
male or female. Soft-Unskilled people have predominantly lower or medium-lower
professional qualifications. They may come from a lower-class background with fewer
opportunities to choose well-paid job or from regions far from the development
centres.
When it comes to type of disadvantage, many Soft-Unskilled have suffered accidents or

medical injuries during their lives that resulted in a disability (e.g., physical disability,
mild cognitive problems). Some of them have a congenital, moderate disability (e.g.,
epilepsy, schizophrenia, autism). In other cases, the deterioration in conditions has
occurred due to life situations such as drug addiction or other events that have placed
the person on the margins of society. In some cases, the disadvantage is cumulative.
Regardless of the origin of the problem, the fact is that now this person has serious
difficulties in relating to the social context that surrounds him or her: he/she risks being
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intolerant of the rules of a workplace, unable to relate to colleagues and managers or
respect schedules and so on. These barriers mean that they sometimes need special
support and attention in their work.

Many of them find it difficult to accept their problems and may have forms of
generalised resentment: they may always blame others for the difficulties they
encounter in life and fail to understand what they would have to change to reintegrate
socially and in the world of work. As a result, they tend to overestimate their abilities,
are pessimistic and stubborn and find it difficult to cope with stressful situations. Some
of them are inquisitive, talkative and require social contact. They maty have
considerable intellectual capacity, but are not always able to make the most of it. They
may therefore lack concentration and attention to detail. They have lower levels of
organisation. They can work independently but not in every kind of job and need
special circumstances to be productive.

The Soft-Unskilled may be hard-working, but they are unreliable. They would like to feel
needed and valued and that their families are proud of them, but often this does not
happen, and this leads to further frustration.
In terms of values, the most important thing for the Soft-Unskilled is family, health,
financial independence and general happiness every day; they perceive that this might
be an achievable goal, even if they cannot understand why this is so difficult for them.

Soft-Unskilled people can do simple IT tasks (e.g., in administrative work) or tasks that
do not require a high level of responsibility (e.g., catering). They can work
autonomously if they have received adequate training and instructions are clear; they
regularly need supervision. For this profile, the problem, even before professional
skills, is on other fronts: psychological endurance, behaviour at work, relationships with
colleagues and compliance with rules and schedules. And, even outside the workplace,
the main problem is to develop or rediscover the elements that allow them to integrate
into society.
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The Soft-Unskilled appreciate their job at the WISE. Since they have bad experiences in
the regular labour market or have realised that they are now not able to perform all the
tasks that they could do before their accident, they prefer to stay permanently. In the
case of a successful path of labour integration, it is possible that at the same time they
can work on soft skills that also make better social integration possible.

Most Soft-Unskilled people have basic digital skills and use them at home or at work.
Some of them have a high level of digital skills and are interested in IT. They can use
technology frequently and easily. Some of them are familiar with CRM or external
systems, e-mail in business communication, photo editing tools, Mailchimp, Canva,
WhatsApp, Viber, apps, etc. They are open to learn about new technological
innovations.

As Soft-Unskilled people would like to keep their job, most of them are open to new
needs and opportunities, especially if they are implemented in the workplace. For
them, the vocational aspects are secondary; they need to develop their soft skills (e.g.,
organisational skills, time and stress management). Many of them are interested in
learning more about technology and are highly motivated to acquire new digital skills.

WISEs have a great tradition in proposing paths to acquire or recover soft skills.
What makes them unique on this front is that, unlike an entity that merely
proposes training initiatives, in WISEs, WSNs live each day for several hours
within a work context that is both challenging and capable of absorbing their
difficulties. The work environment empowers and stimulates people to
perceive the importance of their potential contribution, offering economic
autonomy as a counterpart; at the same time, it is a work context that knows
how to absorb moments of crisis, that offers listening and support, and that,
in the face of problematic attitudes, does not set in motion explosive dynamics
like many other work environments. When WP3 designs actions for upgrading
skills, it will be necessary to fully exploit these peculiarities of WISEs especially
for this profile. Within these initiatives, it is worth mentioning, with specific
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reference to technology, the choice of some WISEs to set up ‘desks’ for WSNs
aimed at offering help on the issue of digitalisation. In fact, digitalisation is
considered a ‘soft skill’, a social skill necessary for different aspects of daily life
(booking a medical appointment, seeking information, starting a file to assert
one’s right to assistance, requesting information from the public
administration and so on). As in other aspects, such initiatives – even if they
are sometimes organised thanks to the availability of a few supporters –
usually require the presence of adequate resources and thus a recognition of
the important work that WISEs do for WSNs.
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3.3.3 The Growth-Oriented
The Growth-Oriented profile can be found in many case studies (e.g., Austria, France,
Greece, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania, and it is certainly also present in
other countries).

Growth-Oriented people may have a lot of work experience, but they have difficulty
finding a job in the open labour market because they either do not have the skills or
professionalism to meet its needs or they are in a disadvantaged life situation (e.g.,
housewives, ethnic minorities, etc.). In other cases, they did not have any job before
coming to the WISE. After many years of unsuccessful job hunting and negative
experiences, Growth-Oriented people find a safe work environment where they can
use and develop their skills and expertise and experience success at the WISE. In other
cases, work experiences were interrupted due to critical biographical events such as
drug addiction or imprisonment; after such experiences, people encountered the WISE
in search of a path to redemption. Joining the WISE represented a turning point that
allowed them to re-evaluate skills acquired in the past, to acquire new ones and above
all to have a possible path to redirect their life.

Growth-Oriented people are predominantly between 30 and 50, and case studies show
a higher proportion of women in this group. Many of them have a vocational (e.g., in
gastronomy, hospitality, marketing or communication) or higher-education
qualification (e.g., humanities, psychology or business management). Some have a low
level of education, and there are cases when they have interrupted their studies
because of imprisonment, abuse or language barriers. Growth-Oriented people have
often attended WISE training to improve their skills and knowledge.
Many Growth-Oriented people are long-term unemployed because they do not have
the skills, competences or knowledge to meet the needs of the open labour market or
because they started their careers so late (e.g., mothers) that they do not have a CV rich
in work experience. Some have health problems (e.g., oncological disease, diabetes,
accidents), mental health problems (e.g., depression) or a mild disability that prevent
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them from finding a regular job. Among the Growth-Oriented, we also find persons
belonging to ethnic minorities (e.g., Roma people) or migrants.

Growth-Oriented people particularly like the atmosphere at WISEs compared to
previous workplaces where there was less communication, openness and
understanding. Because they are loyal and motivated to stay at the WISE for the long
term, they are hard-working, cooperative, conscientious, ambitious, patient and
courageous. They can work independently. They like to work in a team, but their
negative experiences sometimes mean that they are not open to everyone and lack
self-confidence. They like to feel seen and valued. One Growth-Oriented person
commented: ‘I love the atmosphere here and the autonomy. The supervisors trust me.’
They mainly lack professional skills needed for certain positions within WISEs.

Growth-Oriented people appreciate that the WISE team understands them, treats them
humanely and helps them without judgement (‘I can take a break if I need because of
my health problems.’). One Growth-Oriented person commented: ‘I am happy here
because I realised that without the WISE, I would never have this job opportunity.’ They
are committed to the WISE’s success and are driven by the WISE’s impact
(environmental and social). It is important for them to have a job and be involved in
activities that benefit others. A Growth-Oriented person commented: ‘Work is
important for life and good health. Without work and health, it’s difficult. Then comes
family. When you have all three, you are fine.’

Growth-Oriented people within WISEs do a wide variety of jobs: sewing, cooking (e.g.,
chef, kitchen assistant), administration, washing machine repair, machine maintenance,
candle making, representing WISEs (interviews, presentations), organising activities for
kindergarten children (music, dance, theatre, educational topics, etc.), marketing
communication activities (copywriting, social media, content marketing, event
management, writing activity reports, etc.), sales, etc. They can perform their tasks
independently with appropriate training and coaching. In the course of time, these
people feel that their commitment is recognised and rewarded: the WISE gives them a
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sign of trust in their work, they feel seen not only as WSNs to be included but as
workers who can contribute to the work the WISE does.

Growth-Oriented people would like to continue working in WISEs and do not have a
strong ambition to work in the open labour market. They have gained confidence and
are open to attending training courses or completing their studies to develop in their
role and gain more opportunities and responsibilities. Many have the potential and
ambition to become supporters in the future. They are happy to have opportunities to
increase their skills, both in professional and other aspects. If they try to dream of their
best possible future, they do not see a job in other companies, but taking on more
responsibility in WISEs. WISEs gave them confidence and helped them through a
difficult phase and now they would like to contribute in turn to give this opportunity to
others. After all, it is not uncommon in WISEs that supporters (and sometimes also
enablers) have been WSNs in the past.

Some Growth-Oriented people have low-level or basic digital skills and do not need to
use technology in their work. They use phones, computers or tablets for their personal
lives, for example for communication, banking, scheduling, social media, online
shopping, etc. All of them normally use the typical work tools of the activity they carry
out: they use vans, kitchens, lawn cutting equipment, printing, or sewing machinery,
etc. And they are proud to know how to do it well! There are also cases where they do
not use technology in their private lives, but this is less common. The other group of
Growth-Oriented persons use many technologies more often and more easily not only
in their private lives but also at work. They are more familiar with Microsoft Office,
photo and video editing programs, internet banking, applications, online payments,
internal CRM systems, etc. They are willing to learn more about technology, including if
it improves their skills.

Since Growth-Oriented people would like to develop within the WISE, they are open to
learning new professional skills, knowledge and competences they can use in their
work (e.g., new crafts, marketing, psychology, photography, creative writing, machine
operation). In addition to professional skills, they would like to develop their soft skills
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(e.g., interpersonal communication skills at work). If some technology could help them
to develop their skills and improve the quality of their work, they would like to learn
how use it. In addition to this, there are a wide set of skills that concern the acquisition
of a supporting role or the acquisition of organisational responsibilities.

The Growth-Oriented WSN is a profile that testifies to the ability of WISEs to
successfully promote people’s growth. Their way of learning and
strengthening skills combines different forms: the willingness to participate in
specific training, the relationship with the supporters and the enablers who
have followed all the steps in WISE, the possibility of testing themselves in a
context such as a WISE, which looks at its growth in an encouraging way. It is
undoubtedly one of the profiles that is most hungry to learn in all areas,
including technological ones and, if in accordance with its sensitivity, digital
ones.
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3.3.4 The Revenant
The Revenant persona is a widespread profile. We can find this person in many case
studies (e.g., Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Romania).

Revenants may have had many work experiences, but they have difficulties finding
and/or keeping a job in the open labour market. Due to various social challenges, some
of them have had problematic lifestyles (e.g., alcohol and drug addiction, problems with
the law, substance abuse and convictions) that prevent them from finding or keeping
job on a long-term basis. There are also Revenants who have previously worked in the
open labour market but suffered an accident (e.g., as a house painter or electrician) or
burnout syndrome (e.g., as a teacher) that has led to health or mental problems that
prevent them from continuing in their previous profession. The Revenants arrived at
the WISE after a long period of unemployment and many unsuccessful experiences
seeking to find a permanent job in the open labour market with the support of the
social enterprise.

Revenants are predominantly between 30 and 55, and the case studies show a higher
proportion of men in this group. Due to their challenging social situation, many of them
have a low or medium level of education, and some have even interrupted their
studies. Those Revenants who have experienced trauma in their lives may have higher
a level of qualification and a high level of skills and competences for their original
profession.
When it come to their disadvantaged situation, Revenants may come from difficult
family circumstances (e.g., parents had alcohol or drug addiction, are sick or died
prematurely), have alcohol or drug problems, problems with the authorities, etc. Due to
these reasons, many are ex-convicts and people under court supervision. The
Revenants may also be migrants, have health problems caused by an accident, have a
physical disability, or suffer from burnout syndrome. Even if they had skills, they had a
life path that for a while excluded them from work and society; afterwards, thanks also
to their stay in the WISE, they regained motivation and determination and today they
want to prove to themselves and others that they are again able to become
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autonomous, either in their previous occupation or in a new one. They are happy to be
in the WISE but look first of all to an activity outside it, employed or self-employed, as
soon as possible.

The Revenants are in a WISE with the aim to re-enter the open labour market. They are
therefore highly motivated, cooperative, hard-working and precise. They can work
independently and some of them prefer to work alone. Some Revenants (e.g., persons
from difficult social backgrounds) have difficulties in reading or arithmetic and are
ashamed because of this. They lack self-confidence and sometimes self-discipline.
Many of them are lonely and lack family support. There are Revenants (e.g., persons
suffering from burnout or who had an accident) who have lots of professional
experience and a high level of skills that they can still use in their current job.
Revenants are sometimes stressed, have confidence problems due to their experience
and sometimes need more time to understand everything, but they are persistent and
goal oriented. They like to ask questions and find out new things on their own.

Many of the Revenants (e.g., ex-convicts, ex-drug and alcohol addicts) are aware that
they have led a troubled life. They regret what they have done in their past. Therefore,
they would like to be better people and prove to themselves and others that they are
different now and can adhere to positive values. They would like to start again and live
a ‘normal’ life. They tend to say ‘yes’ to every opportunity. Many Revenants (e.g.,
persons suffering from burnout or who had an accident) would like to go back into
their profession, or if they cannot because of health problems, they would like to find a
job where they can work independently with their changed abilities. Revenants find the
WISE more as a place of recovery rather than regular work.
In terms of values, for them, family, work and an independent existence are particularly
important in their lives. Together, these factors are a sign that their lives have changed
and that they have put right the problems that had led them in the wrong direction.

Revenants can perform a wide range of jobs from simple to more complex tasks. In the
case studies, we find these profiles in catering (e.g., dishwashing and kitchen help),
cleaning, green areas, logistics, sales (e.g., answering the phone, uploading online ads,
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price labelling), administration (e.g., invoicing, note taking), etc. There is a Revenant
who, although not a supporter, is the one who welcomes new employees by explaining
the different aspects of the job, including those related to technology.

The main goal of all the Revenants is to find a job in the open labour market. They
would like to lead a stable, simple, independent life after leaving the WISE and to have a
permanent job with a decent salary. They believe that they can soon return to their
‘real’ and ‘legitimate’ life. Many of them have started training programmes or went back
to school to finish their interrupted studies. Some have ambitions to start their own
businesses. For the Revenant, the greatest success is when they leave the WISE and
find work in the ordinary labour market.

Revenants normally and appropriately use the machinery related to their production
activity; they like to study its operation and as far as possible become an expert. They
are happy to learn new things, for example from profiles such as the ‘Professional
Oriented supporters’ and are in turn happy to be approached as experts on the
working machinery.
Regarding digital technologies, on the other hand, different factors come into play,
partly related to personal inclinations, partly to whether the work involves the use of
these technologies. So, we can find Revenants with low digital skills and average to high
ones.
Revenants with low-level digital skills use technology only in their private lives (e.g., e-
mail messaging, social media platforms, using computers or phones). Most of them
expect to learn simple elements of digitalisation. Some of them will never be able to go
beyond certain levels because of their low educational level. Revenants with medium to
high levels of digital skills use the technology at home and at work. They can use
computer programs (e.g., MS Office), apps, social media and communication tools
(WhatsApp, Viber, e-mail, etc.).

Revenants are aware of the importance of learning new skills. They need to develop
skills that prevent long-term unemployment and help minimise stress or difficulties
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(e.g., time management, conflict and stress management and communication skills)
and simply for the pride of being good at one’s job.
Regarding digital skills, Revenants are open to learning new digital skills. Some need
basic technological training, some can acquire more advanced digital skills that can
increase their employability.
They hope that they can train themselves enough to find a job on the open labour
market.

This persona model is the typical client of Training WISEs or of Productive
WISEs oriented towards external placement. It is a figure who is strongly
motivated to strengthen his or her competences, both in terms of professional
and soft skills (time management, conflict and stress management,
communication skills); they also need to improve their self-confidence. They
can improve digital skills that can be helpful for them in their job. They can
learn independently. Those that had an accident or burnout syndrome need
to learn how to live and work with their changed situation and how they can
adapt their new conditions to his profession, if it is possible; at the same time,
they have to learn that is possible to relaunch their career even in their new
condition. It is a profile that can benefit from all forms of competence-building:
structured lessons, on-the-job learning, recognition of prior skills also acquired
informally, etc. It should be noted that in this case, in order not to frustrate the
expectations of the person, it is important that the WISE has channels that
favour the external placement of the WSNs.
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3.4 Additional profile for staff members
This category was not foreseen In the initial research design, but it was added – albeit
in limited fashion – because it concerns very significant figures in WISEs (designers,
administrators, communicators, etc.). It might be useful to devote further studies to
these people in the future. Although officially this persona has been categorised and
interviewed as a supporter, we believe that instead it is more correct to categorise
them in a separate group that will be called Staff Members. Given their role in the WISE,
they perform more administrative, logistical and financial tasks than supporting WSNs.
Since this profile is outside the scope of B-WISE’s interests, a systematic examination of
its characteristics will not be undertaken and only a few main features will be
highlighted.
This type of persona may be in its first employment or may come from the regular
labour market; sometimes he/she worked for many years in other companies before
moving into social work. Their work sector was European project planning,
communication, finance and sales, business management/public relations, human
resources management, engineering or trading.
They are between 24 and 54 years old, but the average age is around 40. They are
highly educated (bachelor or master’s degree).
This profile is communicative and related to people, competent, educated and rational.
Autonomous decision makers, these people can work in communication, planning,
evaluation, finance and administration of WISEs; sometimes they assist the enablers in
his/her daily tasks. They don’t work directly with WSNs.
They all have a high level of digital skills, at work and at home, and they express
willingness to learn soft programs.
This type of figure deserves a specific in-depth study.
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4 COUNTRY REPORTS
4.1 Austria
4.1.1 Scenarios
All types of Austrian WISEs aim to prepare WSNs for the

labour market. The characteristic of further placements
differs according to the target groups and types of
WISEs.
Productive WISEs are either socio-economic enterprises

or sheltered workshops. The former employ people
temporarily, the latter usually permanently. This leads to
differences in the target groups and their placement
opportunities. Services and goods are sold to private or public customers. Some of the
WISEs run a shop. Productive WISEs in Austria prepare WSNs for employment on the
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regular labour market, partially through further social support and training. They range
from medium to large-sized ones.
Social WISEs focus on social development and stabilisation. The workers’ level of care
can rank up to level seven, the highest possible category in Austria. They usually have a
larger range of social work on offer than Productive WISEs. They employ their workers
temporarily. Employment contracts last, with exceptions, several years. Young adults
get ongoing training on etiquette, social and digital skills and cultural techniques
(reading, writing, calculating); grown-up workers do too, but it is usually more focused
on social and digital skills.
Training WISEs aim to prepare workers for employment on the regular labour market.
Workers are employed temporarily. Their training lasts several months or – in fewer
cases – years. As training is to some extent closely interwoven with production in
WISEs, some workers are placed there afterwards (second labour market). Training
WISEs receive state subsidies, but they must fulfil high profit rates. This is considered
problematic. These rates were hard to achieve, especially during the pandemic. Some
WISEs still notice sales collapses and only few earn more. Some Training WISEs are
medium-sized, some are of considerable size.
All the WISEs investigated use digital devices and software. Digitalisation is a topic of
importance. All the WISEs agree on that. The specifications and the progress differ a lot.
As a matter of fact, Training WISEs seem to be the most advanced, followed by
Productive WISEs. They use components such as computers, office software, assistive
technology, video conference tools and to some extent e-learning platforms. Their
hardware is usually up to date, although frequently one to two years behind the private
sector.
The extent of future developments depends on allocated subsidies of local authorities.

In general, the WISEs plan to develop and improve their resource allocation to different
locations. They plan to optimise and automate workflows. They also plan to optimise
training. The WISEs make significant investments, which concern training enrichment
by establishing structured easy-to-use and easy-to-understand e-learning platforms.
Many supporters agree on devices that must be easy to understand and easy to use.
They must be available to supporters and to WSNs. Future WISEs will also be prepared
for ecological challenges and will use renewable energies. They will have e-cars and
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sustainability officers. Current WISEs lag behind the private sector concerning
sustainability. Many WISEs spend their money to preserve their offers to WSNs.
4.1.2 Personas
4.1.2.1 Enablers
- The manager who wants tangible outcomes, but the WISE still has a long way to
go to be digitally prepared: Male, 55, studied social management, worked in different
WISEs. Now he is the CEO of a WISE. He is cooperative with enablers, and he listens to
supporters’ concepts. Digitalisation is welcome, but it needs to support practical work
and has to produce tangible outcomes. However, WISEs still have a long way to go to be
fully prepared. Devices have to be easy to understand and easy to use.
- The manager who is pleased with work conditions within the WISE and who
thinks they should extend their offers: Male, 57, worked 15 years in different private
enterprises. Today he is the business area manager and responsible for sales. He is
inspired by humanity. He thinks that WSNs should also have a chance in the labour
market. Technology is welcome as long as it helps to facilitate work and centres the
human being. Training and support are welcome.
- The mediator: Male, 50, studied law and sociology. He is registered as a civil law
mediator. He states that his education was repeatedly helpful during work. He is a
business area manager within a large-sized WISE. He thinks digitalisation is a boon and
bane; it is a crucial fact for the labour market. It is thus important to train WSNs.
- The manager who tries to be efficient and who needs a lot of individual
resources to overcome the daily workload: Female, 48, studied economics and
worked in private enterprises in the areas of recruiting and human resource
management. She worked in different WISEs as a social worker. She is now the human
resource manager. She is sure about the advantages of digitalisation. Investments in
new digital technologies will better prepare workers for vocational challenges and free
resources for other tasks.
- The boss who is fond of participants: Male, 43, studied social work, 15 years of
vocational experience in different job market projects as a trainer, supporter and job
coach. Now he is the team leader of job integration training for young people with
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disabilities, usually after compulsory schooling. The training has a special focus on IT.
He is happy that the WISE is always up to date with assistive technologies and high-
performing hardware.
- The digitalisation expert who remarks that more and more WISEs understand
the necessity of digital change: Female, 37, studied communication and media,
worked more than ten years in private enterprises as an e-learning expert and content
creator including coaching/counselling regarding changes in digital attitudes. Her vision
towards the future: digitalisation will enhance integration into the labour market for
WSNs.
4.1.2.2 Supporters
- The foreman who recognises that machines can help to reduce physical efforts
and who asks for detailed training on the job for new devices: Female, 50, finished
a tailor’s apprenticeship, had no social work training and has always been a working
mum. She has low digital knowledge and interest on the part of herself and WSNs. She
thinks that new machines will help to lift heavy materials and will thus reduce physical
effort.
- The digitalisation expert who longs for the prioritisation of human beings in IT
training: Male, 42, apprenticed as a plumber. He attended evening classes and studied
communication and media. The use of computers is part of the work routine. He is
motivated to use more technology in his daily work routine. At the same time, he
knows the target group would be overwhelmed. He thinks human beings must be
prioritised in training.
- The supporter who thinks that digitalisation is too expensive: Male, 36, lives in a
cohabitation, 5-year-old son, communicative and gets on well with people. He started a
new career as a social worker and is now responsible for acquiring orders,
communicating with suppliers and quality control within a WISE. He works with digital
devices and specific software each day. He thinks that WISEs cannot afford a structured
roll-out of digital offers.
- The supporter who is prepared: Female, 38, studied sociology and later on social
work. Thinks IT skills are crucial and that one has to be prepared and well-trained to
prepare WSNs. She worked at an accommodation service for children and young
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adults. Although she had no formal training in IT and digital content, she took
responsibility for a digitalisation project within the WISE. She thinks IT skills are crucial.
- The frustrated supporter who repeatedly explains issues as simply as necessary:

Female, 42, one child, finished compulsory schooling, worked as a photographer,
accidentally started a social worker career. She is now foreman and responsible for five
to ten WSNs in the textile sorting and storage department. She adapts to workers with
diverse disadvantages and additional social problems such as debts or prison
sentences each day. Her vision towards the future: blended learning materials should
be easy to understand and easy to use.
- The supporter who is inspired by meaning. ‘I want to do something good for

society and have a peaceful soul myself:’ Female, age 33, work instructor and head
of brochure dispatch. Her motto: everyone should do what they can do. She focuses on
social integration through stabilisation, keeping people busy and providing a satisfying
work experience to former drug addicts. Before Covid-19, working life was easier.
Digital contact with the target group is more difficult, but when the offer is attractive,
people come anyway.
4.1.2.3 Workers with Support Needs

- The one who will succeed on the labour market by uniting vocational training
and personal interests: Female, 25, finished compulsory schooling. She lives with her
parents. Due to her physical disabilities and social pedagogy services in school, she is
experienced in assistive technologies. During the vocational training, she deepened and
expanded her IT skills. She needs more time for specific processes, but she makes up
for some lost time by using assistive technology.
- The human being that is frightened by digitalisation and long passages of text:
Female, 51, social-emotional and psychiatric disabilities, suffers from a basic level in
reading and writing, completed compulsory schooling and has low digital skills. She
refuses an ongoing introduction to digital systems. She fears failing. In particular, text-
based systems frighten her. Videos, images and short, easy-to-read texts would be
okay.
- One should understand what one is doing. The web bears risks: Female, 37,
obtained a driving licence when 25 years old, lives in a single apartment. She went to a
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regular vocational school and fulfilled her vocational training in gastronomy
successfully. She had jobs on the regular labour market but failed there. Then she
completed several job trainings in WISEs. She does not use technologies during work.
In her private life, she uses computers and tablets.
- The long-term unemployed who transfers digital tasks to their individual

surrounding: Male, 59, worked for years as a welder in several foundries. The last one
went bankrupt. He is long-term unemployed and physically restricted due to herniated
disks. He is employed temporarily for seven months at the WISE. In the WISE, he
reworks electronic devices. He attended application and IT training but has little
interest in using his skills.
- One struggles and fall. OK, get up again: Male, 25, worked as a graphic designer. He
loves gaming and betting. He got addicted to them. Depression and other psychological
problems occurred. He is experienced in graphic and other software and would like to
try a new approach: he plans to train peers within the WISE.
- The worker who is developing step by step. Learning by doing and being treated
as a human are important: Male, 52, former training in various fields, often tough
physical work. He suffers from multiple problems: physical exhaustion, various
addiction problems: mostly drugs, but also gaming and alcohol. Main goal: he needs to
bring stability and regularity into his life and he needs a place where he is treated as a
human. Concerning digitalisation, he uses a mobile phone but changes his number
quite often. He has an e-mail address but hardly ever checks it. A computer is an option
but not a necessity.
- “I’d never admit it, but I’m nearly illiterate”: Female, 17, born in Austria. She herself
was hardly pushed in education. She did as little as necessary to complete classes and
compulsory schooling. She is scared that someone might notice how bad her reading
skills are. Unfortunately, some supporters recognised it and now try to motivate her to
improve her reading and writing skills. Many systems are text-based, including the e-
learning system, but she refused to use them.
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4.2 Belgium
4.2.1 Scenarios
Most Belgian WISEs have a long tradition of employing

persons with disabilities. Sheltered workshops have existed
in Belgium since 1958 with the establishment of the law on
‘the training, retraining and social retraining of the
disabled’. Over time, all sheltered workshops have been
transformed into WISEs that focus on the employment of
people outside the labour market and to a certain level on
their transition to the regular economy.
Since the beginning of the 1980s, the regulation of and support for WISEs was gradually
transferred from the federal level to the regional level (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels).
Since 2014, all policies concerning social enterprises and the social economy have been
developed autonomously by each region. In Flanders, collectief maatwerk (MW), which
consists of maatwerkbedrijven (MWB) and maatwerkafdelingen (MWA), employs 23,447
WSNs (a minimum of 65% of the employees). Furthermore, the lokale
diensteneconomie (LDE) or proximity services (178) employ 2,635 WSNs.
In Wallonia there are three types of WISEs. Entreprises d’Insertion (EI) (98) employ
around 6,000 WSNs (more than 50% of the staff). Entreprises de travail adapté (ETA)
(54) employ around 8,500 WSNs (more than 70% of the staff). In addition, Initiatives de
Développement de l’Emploi dans le secteur de Services de proximité à finalité Sociale
(IDESS) (62) employ around 500 WSNs (100% of the staff).
In Belgium, most WISEs are clearly Productive WISEs. There is an economic balance
related to productive activities, remunerated on the public or private market. WSNs are
employed on full pay. The WISEs can organise some training and social activities.
In Wallonia, the IDESS can be considered Productive WISEs given the fact that the WSNs
are employed on full pay. Nevertheless, IDESSs can also be considered Social WISEs,
since resources are derived mainly from government funding and only partly from the
sale of services.
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Belgian WISEs started implementing different technologies and digitalisation processes.
The basic conditions for future digitalisation projects are fulfilled. Since 2019, there has
been a new regional legislation in Flanders (maatwerkdecreet) and consequently the
target population of the WISEs is changing: the group is becoming more diverse, and
their employability is lower. Furthermore, the market is changing. Customers demand
high quality; the products are more complex and the demand for customisation is
greater. The use of assistive technologies, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, etc.,
can be an important strategy to respond to these trends. Nevertheless, we see that
only a small number of Belgian WISEs implemented these technologies up until today.
There are some strategic pathways that WISEs deem relevant to remain future-proof:
scaling-up will be an important strategy to keep up with the speed of digitalisation and
to find enough competent employees in a tight labour market; the available
government subsidies should be harnessed to accelerate the digitalisation and
technologisation of the WISEs; the circular economy can create employment
opportunities for the changing target group (lower employability); assistive
technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, etc., can support the target group
and guarantee their employment. WSNs should be involved in the implementation
process of these technologies. Innovative collaborations or hybrid business models can
open new doors for WISEs. The exchange of good practices and collaboration between
WISEs can support the transition to a strong and regionally anchored social economy.
4.2.2 Personas
4.2.2.1 Enablers
- Enabler 1 (55–65) is the managing director, has been working in the same WISE for
over 20 years and has an IT degree. He/she can make tough decisions and is driven by
the social, economic and sustainable mission of the organisation. He/she finds it
difficult to be enthusiastic and involve employees. It is not easy for employees to
contact Enabler 1 (the distance is too large). He/she has an economic point of view,
good leadership skills, fewer soft skills and a high level of digital skills.
- Enabler 2 (45–54) is the Sales/R&D Director, an industrial engineer with a high interest
in innovative technologies. He/she has been working in the same WISE for 15 years.
He/she is passionate about technology and innovation. He/she is driven by the social
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and sustainable mission of the WISE. He/she keeps all the responsibility (does not
delegate). He/she is difficult to reach (always busy). He/she has good analytical skills,
fewer communication/social skills and a high level of digital skills.
- Enabler 3 (45–54) is the managing director, a political scientist who worked as a plant
manager in a WISE for ten years before being promoted to managing director. He/she
knows the WSNs very well and is inspired by the social goal of the WISE. He/she lacks
an entrepreneurial mindset. He/she has very good analytical skills and social skills, less
knowledge of business management and a basic level of digital skills.
- Enabler 4 (35–44) is the managing director and holds a degree in social work. He/she
recently became the managing director of a small WISE (one year ago). He/she is
inspired by the social goal of the WISE and believes in an inclusive society through an
inclusive labour market. He/she has difficulties putting vision into practice (lack of
structure). He/she pays insufficient attention to the economic aspects of the WISE.
He/she has strong social skills and a strong vision but limited entrepreneurial
experience. He/she has a basic level of digital skills.
4.2.2.2 Supporters
- Supporter 1 (35–44) is the project manager, an occupational therapist who has been
working in the same WISE for over 15 years. Recently, Supporter 1 has been promoted
to project manager of digitalisation. He/she is hard-working, ambitious and inspired by
the social goal of the WISE. He/she has good analytical skills but lacks communication
skills. He/she has a high level of digital skills, at work and at home.
- Supporter 2 (45–54) is the policy officer and has a master’s degree in pedagogy. After
working for local government for 15 years, Supporter 2 started as a policy officer in a
WISE. He/she is inspired by the social goal of the WISE and has strong attention to
detail but jumps to conclusions too quickly. He/she has communication and analytical
thinking skills. He/she has a high level of digital skills, at work and at home – only more
advanced programming skills are lacking.
- Supporter 3 (18–25) is the green maintenance team leader and has a secondary
education diploma (horticulture). After high school, he/she studied for three years
(social work) without obtaining a degree. He/she loves to work with people. He/she has
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no perseverance, low self-esteem and low self-discipline. He/she has a basic level of
digital skills.
- Supporter 4 (45–54) is an occupational therapist. He/she loves helping people but

finds it difficult to think outside of the box and to make critical reflections. He/she has
good soft skills, however, analytical skills are lacking. He/she has a basic level of digital
skills, at home and at work.
- Supporter 5 (55–65) is an Engineer. He/she loves technology/IT and has limited social
skills and limited communication skills. He/she is not a team player. He/she has good
mathematical skills and affinity with technology and digitalisation.
- Supporter 6 (25–34) is the catering services team leader. He/she started working after
finishing secondary education (he/she graduated as a care provider). He/she loves
working with people but has no attention for detail and speaks before he/she thinks.
He/she has good soft and communication skills, no analytical skills nor preceding
experience in catering services. He/she has a basic level of digital skills.

- WSN 1 (55–65) does in-company services. WSNs 1 did not find a job in the regular
economy and has been long-term unemployed. WSNs 1 has a lower secondary
education degree. He/she is motivated to work and has physical capacities. WSNs 1 is
psychologically vulnerable. He/she has limited skills and needs repetitive tasks. WSNs 1
does not use any digital skills at home or at work.
- WSN 2 (25–34) is in a training programme. He/she did a few interim jobs after
dropping out of school (only lower secondary education degree) but lost them because
of substance abuse. If he/she is motivated, a lot is possible. He/she lacks self-discipline
and self-confidence. WSNs 2 has practically no experience but has high cognitive
capacities and no physical disabilities. His/her digital skills are advanced.
- WSN 3 (35–44) does metal working. He/she graduated from support needs education
and started part-time in the WISE directly after graduating. WSNs 3 has mental health
issues, is rather shy and has limited physical strength. He/she is motivated, does not
know his/her own boundaries and has limited cognitive skills. WSNs 3 needs a lot of
training and repetition. It is getting harder to find a job for him/her. He/she has basic
digital skills.
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- WSN 4 (45–54) has an administrative job. He/she suffered a brain injury as a child.
Due to this injury, WSNs 4 has a physical disability and some cognitive problems. WSNs
4 is stubborn and has difficulties accepting his/her disability. He/she wants to work,
overestimates his/her capacities and has no attention for details. He/she is an
accountant and has a lot of cognitive skills, but also memory problems, and the quality
of his/her work is low. He/she has basic digital skills.
- WSN 5 (45–54) has an administrative job. He/she has a degree as an early childhood
educator. After working in a school for seven years, WSNs 5 suffered from burnout and
stayed home for a year. Now he/she works part-time in a WISE but wants to find a job
in the regular economy. He/she is motivated to work and kind-hearted. He/she has
limited physical strength and mental health issues, has a lot of cognitive capacities and
no physical disability. He/she needs structure and repetition. He/she has basic digital
skills.
- WSN 6 (25–34) works in logistics, graduated in support needs education and has a
severe form of autism. After school, WSNs 6 started working part-time in the WISE. It is
difficult to find a job for him/her. He/she is motivated and has a large network but has
low self-esteem, and he/she is scared of trying something new. He/she has very limited
cognitive skills and needs a lot of training. WSNs 6 has no physical disability and no
digital skills.
- WSN 7 (35–44) works in IT, lacks concentration and cannot handle stress. He/she has
limited experience in the regular economy due to his/her physical disability and
probably autism. WSNs 7 has a lot of cognitive capacities but is not very stable. He/she
has a high level of digital skills.
- WSN 8 (55–65) works in logistics. He/she arrived in Belgium at the age of 50. WSNs 8
does not have a degree and has limited cognitive capacities. WSNs 8 gives the
impression of knowing how to perform a task, but the quality of the result is low. WSNs
8 has a lot of doubt. He/she is motivated to work and overestimates his/her capacities.
His/her digital skills are basic.
- WSN 9 (45–54) works in logistics. WSNs 9 is an ex-convict. He/she does not belong in a
WISE, but he/she cannot find work in the regular economy. He/she works very precisely
and is motivated to find a job in the regular economy in the near future but has low
self-esteem. He/she has a lot of capabilities but no digital skills.
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- WSN 10 (55–65) works in logistics. He/she holds a lower secondary education degree.
He/she has a physical disability and uses a wheelchair. WSNs 10 has been working for
22 years in the same WISE. He/she works very precisely and is motivated to keep
his/her job but gets easily stressed. He/she does not indicate her/his boundaries.
He/she has limited cognitive capacities, needs repetitive tasks and needs to sit down to
work. His/her digital skills are basic.
- WSN 11 (45–54) works in logistics and lives in a community with other people with a
mental disability. He/she graduated in support needs education. WSNs 11 has a mental
disability and has been working in the same WISE for 25 years. He/she works precisely
and is motivated but needs a lot of support. He/she has limited cognitive skills. WSNs
11 works slowly, but correctly. His/her digital skills are very basic.
- WSN 12 (55–65) works in logistics. He/she holds a degree in support needs education.
He/she has a physical disability (severe arthrosis) and uses a wheelchair. He/she also
has a mild mental disability. He/she has been working for 35 years in the same WISE.
The social contact at the workplace keep WSNs 12 motivated but he/she overestimates
his/her own capacities. His/her digital skills are basic.
4.3 Bulgaria
4.3.1 Scenarios
WISEs in Bulgaria are identified as social tools for

supported employment that are essential to workers with
disabilities who are often directly or indirectly
discriminated against by the conventional enterprises.
The work integration itself, as well as the number of
alternative strategies, such as the creation of transitional
occupations and on-the-job training, are provided by
these social enterprises, especially in the light of the lack
of governmental support they tend to face.
We can clearly notice the prevailing Social and Training types of WISEs – in which there
is a coexistence of employed persons and trainees, and the WSNs usually represent
30% to 50% of the total staff. Part of the resources are derived from the sale of goods
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and services, while the rest is often dependent on either government funds, European
programmes or other entrepreneurial initiatives and donation campaigns.
All three common WISE types are found – Productive, Training and Social – as some of
their characteristics are shared and overlap, as do their relation to public support
policies and job placements.
Identified strengths include customer satisfaction, proper management (within the

WISE), a personalised attitude between colleagues, experienced mentors, a good
marketing approach and the fruitful efforts for competitiveness with non-WISEs.
Training and certificates that are issued also represent nice motivation to employees.
Having in mind the strengths, and their successful implementation in the day-to-day
processes, several opportunities come to light. Employees in the social enterprises are
provided with good training – from basic skills (cleaning, washing) to more complicated
tasks such as food preparation, pre-cooking activities, taking orders from customers,
etc. Mentors/supporters also have the chance to increase their qualifications by
constant tutorship, internal training models and active involvement in the development
ventures of the WISE.
Talking to the management of the social enterprises, we can see the impact of
international politics towards the local businesses, which suffer due to lack of profits.
There is a reduction in customers, low interest in local merchandise and generally low
purchasing power.
In economic terms, the majority of WISEs have low turnover (<€100,000) and their
situations are very different, depending on the size and type of market they are in. The
level of investment is generally lower than in non-WISE companies operating in the
same sectors. There is some exposure to competition with non-WISEs, but a good
proportion of customers choose them because they implement work integration.
Some of the WISEs shared plans to reinvest part of their income in the purchase of
technologies that will significantly improve the production process, such as a 3D
printer.
WSNs within the organisation also feel positive and believe that by adding this piece of
machinery, their focus will be moved towards becoming more creative – they will have
the chance to apply their talents and come up with new designs, while mass production
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would be carried out by the printer. It is the kind of reinvestment opportunities that
every WISE is looking for but not many of the social enterprises can afford.
4.3.2 Personas
4.3.2.1 Enablers
Enablers are usually professionals and experienced managers and some of them are
also medical experts such as psychologists, MDs, etc. Enablers work along with the rest
of the staff, provide all kinds of support and at the same time represent the social
enterprise by handling its public relations. Therefore, very often they are the most
active members who are in charge of the organisation, social media activities, national
and international partnerships, etc. Enablers tend to keep very close relations with the
WSNs on a daily basis. Along with the supporters, enablers listen to the persons with
needs and issues concerning disabilities.
4.3.2.2 Supporters
The supporters are the main ‘engine’ in the everyday struggle of the WISEs’ competition
with non-WISEs. Some of them are WSNs, who have had the chance to excel at their job
positions and now offer their services by not only working along with the staff but also
training others in their routine tasks and duties. According to the supporters, their role
is seen as a good opportunity to increase their level of competence. Being a part of the
WISE’s structure is an important personal and professional opportunity for the
supporters. They feel their efforts have been properly appreciated by both enablers
and WSNs. Supporters believe that their knowledge can expand with time, and their
hard work can be even more fruitful if technologies and innovations are added in their
activities – they are confident that given the chance, they will be able to adapt to new
devices, as well as to train the rest of the staff to work with them.

WSNs who are involved in the WISEs have either physical or mental conditions or both.
Their age varies between 18 and 50 years old, but for most of them their ‘life has just
recently started’. Their status within the WISE is determined by their willingness to
achieve personal and professional goals. They seem to find their work experience
useful in relation to building basic skills and personal qualities. They expressed their
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desire to be socially accepted and, in their opinion, their participation in the WISEs’
activities makes this possible.
4.4 Croatia
4.4.1 Scenarios
Although a general framework of the three different types

of WISEs can be clearly identified in the Croatian scenario,
some of them certainly have common characteristics,
which lead the different WISEs to overlap and combine
with each other.
Division is found related to direct and indirect public

support. Some divisions are notably also related to
participation in public procurement. Most WISEs are not
very profitable and they have problems with sustainability. This is not surprising, as the
Croatian social entrepreneurship sector is relatively ‘young’, underdeveloped and
unsupported on sustainability issues. Workers’ qualifications in most WISEs are generic.
There is also a division between WISEs that relate more to employment services and
those related more to welfare services.
Hybridity ‘lives’ in different types of WISEs, but there are also some more clear-cut
types. Conventional companies are mostly like Productive WISEs. But social
cooperatives occupy an intermediate position between Social/Productive WISEs.
Something similar is the case for associations that are mostly Social WISEs but could
also have training elements.  
Productive WISEs have an economic equilibrium related to productive activities, paid

for by the public or private market, by which they employ WSNs. They often compete
with traditional companies. WSNs are employed on a full-contract basis and in general
represent a smaller part of the total workforce, mostly with disadvantaged groups that
can achieve a good level of productivity. Sometimes they have large incomes and invest
in productive machines. They aim to provide specific support to WSNs, even if they
need to use market-based resources to do so. 
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Social WISEs are developed from workshops for people who are unable to enter the
production cycle due to very significant disadvantages/obstacles; workers develop by
starting to produce certain goods and services for the market. Employment is part of
more general care of a person. Part of the income relates to this type of social
work. WSNs are a significant proportion of the people employed in production.
Training WISEs arise from the evolution of training-based activities, which continue to
represent significant revenue; they begin to produce and participate in a significant way
on the market. There is an explicit goal to place people in traditional companies thanks
to the training and employment support they receive at the WISE. They target WSNs
who are able to significantly increase their productivity through training.
Regarding the inclusion of technology and digitalisation, Productive WISEs are

equipped with medium-quality machines. The goal is not to introduce technology into
all processes. On the other hand, since the WISEs do not have support at the local or
national level, investing in new machines and advanced technology is not always
possible because funds and resources are used rationally and targeted. E-invoices, e-
banking, e-finance, etc., are used. The digital literacy of workers is at a relatively low
level: they have smartphones but use only basic applications for personal
communication. In this WISE, there is a noticeable ‘digital divide’ between the
technology-related capabilities of management and other workers.
Social WISEs have digital skills that range from low to medium; in this type of WISE, the
current working conditions are mostly aligned with the use of digital technology, but
considering the challenges coming from the future, there are great opportunities for
the development and use of new technologies. There is a gap between the need for
support of WSNs and the people who provide it. The digital literacy of workers is at a
relatively low level, which indicates an opportunity for learning and development.
Finally, Training WISEs are equipped with top technology and the latest machines for
work in all business sectors and production processes. Communication between
workers, managers and managers is ensured through e-mail, mobile applications,
telephone conversations or direct communication.
Most workers use smartphones and basic communication channels. The problem
arises when a person with no experience or an older person in a disadvantageous
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position needs to be hired for a position that uses advanced technology. Where there is
interest from the workers, it requires additional investments by WISE in education.
4.4.2 Personas
4.4.2.1 Enablers
- A dedicated visionary: Middle-aged person (M), 45+, economist, eloquent, visionary.
Privately, he is also highly engaged and active in the community. A person who has
been in a management position almost from the very beginning and knows all the work
processes and every corner of business. He is fully responsible for all operations
related to the WISE. He cares about communication with the authorities, but also
business development. His digital skills are at a high level, above the job requirements;
he uses business analysis programs.
- A dedicated worker soon to depart without an heir: An elderly person (M), 55+,
engineer, approaching retirement. He is a person who has been in a management
position since the very beginning of the WISE’s existence. A very warm and calm
person. He maintains good communication with the local authorities and good
relations with his subordinates. He is cautious and plays it safe, but he achieves the set
goals. He loves his lifestyle but is slowly getting ready for retirement. Digital skills
sufficiently developed for basic communication: his skills are in line with the needs of
the workplace, but there is room for development.
- A disillusioned man without a proper vision: Elderly person (M), 60+, before
retirement. He is a person who has been in a management position since the very
beginning. The establishment of the cooperative was initiated by the manager for
personal health reasons. He was dependent on the help of another person. He is trying
to develop cooperation with the private sector to achieve sustainability, but he is not
succeeding. Digital skills sufficiently developed for basic communication; his skills are in
line with the needs of the workplace. He has no desire for additional training and is
thinking about retirement.
- A motivated worker without a view of the future: WSN (F), 25+, president of the
assembly, EU project manager. Responsible for financial monitoring and
implementation of the project, she takes care of employees and makes decisions for
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further development. She has a good relationship with colleagues and employees.
WSNs trust her. Digital skills are developed according to job requirements: accounting
programs and online business applications.
4.4.2.2 Supporters
- Sensible support expert: A middle-aged person 35+, (F), social worker, in the Human
Resources sector. She leads a peaceful private family life. She provides psychosocial
support to employees on an individual level, leads the selection and recruitment
process, interviews future employees and runs group workshops and life skills training
for the training of WISE employees. She works to strengthen organisational culture and
care for mental health through various activities. Her digital skills are at an
intermediate level: there is room for improvement and progress in the organisation of
work using digital tools.
- A nurturing wife, a faithful companion: An elderly person (F), 55+, who came to the
post of professional support after working at a school, which is an advantage for
people in a disadvantageous position who entered the training and employment
system after schooling. WSNs confide in her because they have gained mutual trust
through years of working together, and if a problem arises, she is the first to whom
WSNs and other workers turn. She uses digital technologies in their work, constantly
improving and educating themselves about new programs and work principles.
- A dedicated lady who knows what she wants: A middle-aged person (F), 40+, social
worker who provides support to employees in a disadvantageous position through
organised group workshops of social skills, organises trips and movies, etc. The person
is sociable, calm and warm and is devoted to family and friends. She has developed
digital skills to an intermediate level, in accordance with the requirements of the job.
She is interested in new knowledge and learning new skills in accordance with the
requirements of a potential job.

- Older, hard-working, low-educated worker: The worker is female, 50+, a person
with disabilities and reduced working ability, with a lower level of education and of an
older age, without work experience. A person with a family and a simple life in the
countryside. Life is full of family challenges. She likes to work and it fulfils her. She
enjoys farming and gardening. A lower level of education greatly affects her interest in
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working with digital technologies. In the private sphere, technologies are used at a
basic level.
- Motivated worker with multiple vulnerabilities: He is a person with disabilities (M),

25+, a member of the Roma minority, with a rather negative and difficult life situation
and bad experiences from childhood, living alone, with a lower level of education.
Highly motivated to acquire new life skills, especially digital ones. A very warm and
empathetic person. Digital skills are at a lower level, but he has the desire and will to
acquire new ones.
- Learning-oriented person with disabilities: He is a person with a severe physical

disability (M), 25+, with a lower-level professional qualification, a person who has spent
his whole life in an overprotected family environment. He has a great desire to learn
and master life skills. Highly motivated to acquire digital skills that are currently not at
an intermediate level. He looks at the future positively and moves forward with sure
steps.
- Older, hard-working, low-educated worker: Female, 55+; she is a person with

disabilities and reduced ability to work, with a lower level of education. She creates
high-quality products and enjoys the support of masters. Through training she acquires
the necessary skills. A lower level of education greatly affects her interest in working
with digital technologies. In the private sphere, technologies are used at a basic level.
There is not too much interest in investing the will and energy to get to know new
technologies.
- A humble family man: A person with a disability (M), 50+, who only recently entered
the system, he is still in the process of being trained to work on the existing digitised
machines. He would like to stay in this WISE until the end of his working life, because he
had negative experiences with previous employers. He worked in more difficult
physical jobs in the foundry factory but was often underestimated by his colleagues
and boss. At the WISE, there is a different approach to work: there is enough of it, and
he does not work under stress and does not need to work according to the norm.
- A determined man without real support: Male, 30+, he is a person with a severe
disability. This is the worker’s first job. He had negative experiences in finding a job. He
has no developed responsibility for work, which is a consequence of inexperience, he
had no opportunity to learn. He gets along well with his colleagues but is occasionally
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causes conflict and critical. Injustice hurts him. He lives with his parents and likes to
travel to the sea. His digital skills are at an intermediate level but he shows a high
interest in learning new knowledge and skills.
- A reserved worker without a rudder in life: Male, 25+, he is a person with

intellectual disabilities. This is his first job. The WSN is withdrawn and quiet. He lives
with his parents. He is satisfied with the salary, even though it is minimal. His digital
skills are at a basic level. He owns a smartphone that he uses to communicate with
colleagues.
4.5 France
4.5.1 Scenarios
Integration enterprises have an economic predominance in

France. They are all fully inscribed in the ‘classical’
economy and the competitive market sector. They must
achieve a significant turnover (on average 85%) to continue
to exist. The social dimension is at the heart of the
philosophy of these companies. All permanent employees,
from the manager to the technical supervisor, note the
importance of the social mission in their work. Training is
an important concern for integration enterprises, but it is
not their primary purpose, and, in this sense, they cannot be considered as training
organisations.
They are fully part of the traditional economy; they thus apply the rules of their branch
and do not benefit from any financial or economic exemption compared to other
companies in their sector. The integration enterprises questioned then declare that
they are strongly subject to competition from other sectors.
Several integration enterprises interviewed cited the importance of diversifying their

activities as priorities for the coming months and years. They also cited recruitment
problems as one of their main difficulties. This dimension seems to have increased in
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France in recent months with the fall in the unemployment rate. Thus, a study carried
out at the end of 2021 by the Ministry of Labour with integration structures declared
that nearly 80% of integration companies were experiencing recruitment difficulties.
On the question of the use of technologies, we distinguish two levels. First of all,
companies point to the mechanisation of certain positions: they identify this as an
opportunity but also as a threat. It is an opportunity because the mechanisation of
certain stations is necessary to ‘move with the times and be able to accommodate
more types of waste’, but also a threat because ‘we must properly support
mechanisation so as not to lose sight of the mission of inclusion’.
It was also identified this link between inclusion and technologies. The leader says:
‘Technologies will enter into the way the company operates. Mastering our
environment and adapting, instead of resisting. Keeping our DNA while changing our
mode of operation. If we want to differentiate ourselves tomorrow, we will have to
think about our “I" of inclusion, what we will digitise, save, optimise. Employees are
necessarily very resistant to these digitalisations but we are used to it’. In ten years, the
company plans to use different technologies: the electrification of its vehicle fleet and
logistics optimisation technology. ‘The impact will be twofold: improved compliance
and less strain’.
4.5.2 Personas
4.5.2.1 Enablers
- Leaders: Most of them are people with master’s degrees or equivalent. As managers
of small and medium-sized businesses, they are very involved in the operational
management of their business and the question of middle management is a real point
of difficulty for them. The various interviews highlighted the importance of human
support for managers
4.5.2.2 Supporters
- Technical supervisors: They are responsible for the professional supervision of
employees in integration. The different technical supervisors interviewed have quite
different personal profiles. Most had engaged in professional activity before entering
the integration company in which they work. The various technical supervisors seem
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very sensitive to the social dimension of their professions. The supervisors generally
have a good use of computer technologies and use them on a recurring basis in their
work.
- Integration counsellors: They are responsible for the socio-professional support of

employees in integration. They support them throughout their integration process. The
integration counsellors are mostly women. They have often undergone dedicated
training to carry out this position (licence or equivalent). Digital tools are very present in
the daily work of integration counsellors.

- Most employees in integration experience social difficulties. The question of training is
central for employees in integration. Thus in 2020, a survey revealed that 80% of
employees in integration had a level below the baccalaureate. The question of the poor
command of the French language is a real obstacle for the return to work. The question
of digital technology (its use and its mastery) was posed to employees in integration.
Their mastery is very unequal. For some employees, its use is very easy. The other
respondents seem less comfortable with it. Most of them use digital tools little in their
professional activities. Most use them in their personal life and for this they often use
the telephone.
4.6 Greece
4.6.1 Scenarios
WISEs occupy a small part of the social and solidarity

economy enterprises in Greece. KoiSPEs (Social
Cooperatives of Limited Liability) and KoinSEp Entaxis
(Social Cooperative Enterprises of Integration) of Vulnerable
and Special Groups represent 4.3% of social enterprises.
KoiSEn is a very new legal form and until today no WISE of
this type has been registered. Women’s Agricultural
Cooperatives have the possibility to be registered at the
National Registry of Social and Solidarity Economy but have
no motivation to do so, thus no statistics from the Registry refer to them. According to
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the Ministry of Agriculture (2020), 141 Women Agricultural Cooperatives exist, but most
of them are not very operational.
The operation of the Greek WISEs could be summarised in one scenario under the title:
‘The small-medium, support oriented, Productive WISE’. The scenario refers to
Productive WISEs whose main areas of activity are food and cleaning services. They
derive their resources from the sale of goods and services to the free market and
through reserved contracts with public authorities and receive no support from the
state. Regarding WSNs, there is always a prevalent type of vulnerability/disability that
each WISE focuses on and represents around 50% of total employees. At the same
time, Greek WISEs have a social and solidarity approach and tend to employ persons
who belong in vulnerable groups in general, regardless of specific categories of
disadvantage. Usually, WSNs are not full-time employed, and they are regularly paid
according to the national legislation.
The external environment is unstable after years of economic crisis and there is a lack
of financial support or possibilities to use European funds. The payments from the
state and local authorities for reserved contracts are usually delayed and there is no
financial space for big investments and no support for the functioning of the WISE as a
business. As helpful elements of external origin, we could mention the new initiative of
the Ministry of Health that will subsidise WISEs for their operation as mental health
units who support WSNs and the fact that corporate social responsibility of big
enterprises is gradually coming to favour the use of services and goods produced by
WISEs. Finally, the National Federation of Social Cooperatives of Limited Liability has
made important steps in claiming support for the creation of Supported Employment
Offices within the WISEs.
Unfortunately, technology is the ‘poor child’ of this scenario. The use of technology
remains at the basic level of everyday operation and mostly in the administration
department. In the different existing commercial activities, the necessary equipment
(e.g., kitchen, restaurant, cleaning service equipment) exists but is not the most
advanced possible. The use of social media and of the existing websites is also limited
and there are no specialised IT staff employed. During Covid-19, an important step was
made, mostly for WSNs who learned how to use video conference applications and e-
mail in order to be able to maintain their support sessions. Everyone recognises the
obvious importance of technology but at the same time, other issues always seem
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more urgent and important, and the budget and time needed to be spent in order to
invest in technology is always ‘lost’ between other priorities.
4.6.2 Personas
4.6.2.1 Enablers
- This persona is the soul of the WISE: A mental health professional (bachelor’s
degree) with years of experience in the domains of rehabilitation and work integration,
usually around the age of retirement, having his own family and children. He is the
President of the Board of Directors. He is mainly inspired by the values and ethics of
solidarity, work integration of vulnerable persons and equal professional opportunities
for everyone. He uses technology at a basic level in his professional and personal life.
He recognises the importance of technology and the gaps in his knowledge and would
like to learn more, but the most important obstacle is lack of time.
- This persona is a full-time employee at the administration and/or finance

department: She has a university degree and her own family. She has a strong
relationship with the WISE, its difficulties, values and ethics. Her days are very busy as
the staff is limited and her duties include almost everything. She has ‘feelings for the
WISE and its people’, so she could not imagine herself in another job. She just tries to
find ways to help the WISE grow and at the same time ameliorate the work conditions.
She is an advanced user of technology in her personal and professional life and is
always willing to evolve and be further trained.
4.6.2.2 Supporters
- Τhis persona has been working in the WISE since the day it was founded (usually
for more than 10–15 years): He has a university degree (bachelor’s) in mental health
sciences. He is a full-time employee in the field of support for WSNs (first contact,
informing and supporting them and their family during their integration into
employment, interface with mental health services and cooperating with other WISEs’
departments). In his professional and personal daily life, he uses technology at a very
basic level. He does not reject its usefulness, understands the fact that technology
would be helpful in many ways and would enter the process of further training, but this
is not a priority.
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- This persona has been working in the WISE for a few years: She has a higher level
of qualification in social or mental health sciences. She is a full-time employee in the
field of support for WSNs (first contact, informing and supporting them and their family
during their integration into employment, interface with mental health services and
cooperating with other WISEs’ departments). She is truly inspired by the vision of work
integration of WSNs. She would like to continue working for the WISE, but the salary is
not sufficient. Regarding technology, she uses it a lot in her personal life and as far as it
is needed in her job position at a very good level as well. She would like to improve her
skills in this domain.

- This persona is usually of middle age (over 45 years old), is or has been married
with children and has a medium-high level of education (high school or university
degree): She was always a hard-working person. After her hospitalisation and many
attempts to re-enter the labour market, she was referred to the WISE, which has now
become her second home. She is a basic user of technology in her personal life, and
during the pandemic she learned how to use Skype, Viber and Zoom, which helped her
in her personal and professional life. She cannot see how technology could be helpful
in her work, but she would like to learn more, since she considers training very
important for her personal development.
- This persona is a single person living alone or with his parents. He has finished
high school and then entered university: In some cases, the first episodes of mental
illness did not allow him to continue with university. He is working in the WISE, mostly
part-time, and is now satisfied with his professional life, as his mental health remains
stable as well. He admires the vision of the WISE, is proud of being part of it and would
like to see the cooperative grow more and fulfil its scope for work integration of more
persons. There is very little or no technology use in his everyday professional life and
very basic use in his personal life, mostly for entertainment. He understands how
important technology is, but is not interested in learning more.
- This persona has a very similar personal and professional life path as the
previous one, as well as the same qualifications: The main difference is their
relationship with technology. This persona has been in job positions in the past where
he was using technology more. In some cases, he is working in departments of the
WISE that require the use of technology. He has the will to learn more, would be
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interested in participating in training and would not be afraid to accept a job offer that
requires more use of technology.
4.7 Italy
4.7.1 Scenarios
Today there are around 5,300 WISEs in Italy, giving

employment to around 30,000 recognised WSNs (about
half of them are people with disabilities; the other are drug
addicts, alcoholics, prisoners and psychiatric patients); for
these workers, as long as their disadvantaged status
remains, the law recognises exemptions from paying social
security contributions, which reduces labour costs by
around 40%. In addition to these workers, there are about
15,000 employees not belonging to the categories
mentioned above but characterised by situations of disadvantage (low-skilled older
workers, single women with family responsibilities, socially disadvantaged people,
migrants, etc. ); for these workers, the law does not provide any benefits. Then there
are about 45,000 other workers that include supporters, enablers and other workers,
for a total of approximately 90,000 workers. Economic sizes vary widely; there are
some WISEs that are among the largest companies in each territory, with turnovers of
more than ten million euros and several hundred workers, often active for many
decades. On the other hand, there are also WISEs with turnovers of a few tens of
thousands. The average turnover is over €600,000. WISEs operate primarily in sectors
such as cleaning services, maintenance of green areas, waste sorting and other
environmental services, cemetery management, catering and food preparation, craft
activities, social farming, etc.
The great majority of the 5,300 Italian WISEs are typical Productive WISEs. All their
revenue comes from sale of products and services on private and public markets.
WSNs are regularly hired based on a national labour contract. These WISEs invest a lot
of resources in getting machinery, vehicles and the other tools necessary to operate
efficiently, so that they can compete on an equal basis with non-WISE companies.
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There are a few hundred Social WISEs that originated from welfare services (e.g.,
assistance of persons with disabilities), which were then complemented by simple
workshop activities, themselves useful to train people for subsequent work activities or
to make social integration programmes more effective.
Training WISEs are not very widespread in Italy; there are probably a few dozen in all.
They originate from educational (technical or vocational schools) or vocational training
providers.
Social WISEs and Training WISEs often operate within groups of organisations together
with the organisation that originated them and continues to support them.
The issue of a capacity-building strategy can be approached on several different levels.

With respect to the enablers, the main issue appears to be generational renewal and
thus the training of a new management team capable of replacing the founding group
that led WISEs for several decades and has come close to retirement age. With respect
to WSNs, Italian WISEs are characterised by a model strongly focused on competence-
building of transversal skills and on-the-job learning.
Italian WISEs do not seem to have any prejudice against the inclusion of technology and
digitalisation in production processes. Their level of technology and digitalisation
appears not to be dissimilar to that of the generality of Italian firms of comparable size
operating in the same sectors. Larger WISEs often introduce digital elements into the
production control process, for example with the development of smartphone apps to
track the work of operators. In many cases, it seems that there is a fair degree of use of
technology in ordinary office work, with digitalisation processes covering the various
phases of administrative work (office work, management control, staff attendance,
payroll, invoicing, warehouse management, etc.). In the most developed cases, such
administrative phases are interconnected. There is also some investment by a good
number of WISEs in digital communication, e.g., with respect to the website or social
presence. Furthermore, there is widespread use of basic digital technologies for
internal communication (e.g., WhatsApp groups). In some cases, there are WISEs
experimenting with forms of e-commerce or using digital channels for fundraising.
Often, the low level of education or a disability becomes an obstacle to the

dissemination of digital technologies, or in any case it forces the WISEs to deal with
simple work that does not require advanced technological tools; in this regard, some
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WISEs express the fear that the inability of WSNs to use these technologies creates a
further sense of frustration and exclusion in them. In response to this situation, there
are cases where WISEs organise internal training actions or activate help desks to raise
worker competence levels.
In general, there is a widespread awareness in the management team that the future of
WISEs will also depend on the adoption of appropriate technologies, even if managers
are not always familiar with these technologies; in this regard, the advanced average
age of a significant part of the WISEs’ management team represents a potentially
hindering factor.
4.7.2 Personas
4.7.2.1 Enablers
With respect to the enablers, we can find the following Personas:
- The Pillar: He/she is one of the founders of a WISE, he/she has been working there
for several decades and he/she is around 60 years old. He/she is inspired by strong
ethical values. He/she has a background in the humanities or social sciences, and he
has almost always had a career within the WISE, which he guided in subsequent
transformations. He/she has leadership skills and a strong network of territorial
relationships. He/she is aware of the importance of technology even if personally his
investment is not in this area.
- The Follower: He/she is 40–50 years old; he grew up in the shadow of the Pillar and is
a candidate to pick up its legacy. He/she is more pragmatic; on the one hand he/she
admires the Pillar, on the other hand he/she fears that the Pillar does not really trust
him/her and is delaying the assumption of his role at the top of the WISE. He/she is
sometimes disheartened by the lack of interest in WISEs by politicians. Like the Pillar,
he understands the importance of technologies but does not personally invest in them.
- The Martian: He/she comes from a career outside WISEs but he/she decided to leave
for-profit enterprises because he/she wants to give a different meaning to his/her
work. He/she is younger than the other Personas and brings with him/her a dynamic
and entrepreneurial mindset, open to the introduction of technology and digitalisation.
He/she sometimes finds it difficult to tune in to the WISE, to adapt to a different
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organisational model from the one he/she is familiar with; he is looked upon with a
mixture of admiration and mistrust.
4.7.2.2 Supporters
Three Personas profiles related to supporters were then summarised:
- The Professional: He/she approached the WISE looking for work and was fascinated
by it; he/she is now also fully involved in its social aims. He/she has a good schooling,
uses digital technologies and is willing to learn, being aware that they will change the
way he works in the future.
- Buck: He/she has always been in contact with WISEs, even though he/she made
different career choices for many years. His/her desire for more authenticity and the
needs of WISEs bring them together again. He/she has good technical skills, although
not necessarily related to technological and digital aspects.
- The Practitioner: He/she came to the WISE as a WSN. He/she forged a successful
path and is now a supporter. He/she has a low education, a vocation for manual work,
possibly outdoors, and a very good relationship with his/her team. He/she is disinclined
to use digital technologies and the introduction of digital procedures in the WISE
irritates him/her.

Finally, with respect to WSNs, the following Personas profiles are present:
- The Hard Worker: Aware of past mistakes, he/she sees the WISE as an opportunity
for redemption. A good worker, he/she has also rebuilt a positive personal and family
life. He/she is willing to learn, although his/her low level of schooling makes it difficult
for him/her to acquire digital skills beyond a certain level.
- The Windless Navigator: He/she has had a difficult life and fragmented work
experiences; he/she is prone to feeling victimised and is fatalistic; he/she is happy with
the job he/she found in the WISE but he/she feels partly misunderstood and
undervalued is not investing in his/her training and does not aspire to greater
responsibility. He/she is not interested in the digital world.
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- The Worker in the Middle: He/she has had a difficult life: he/she dropped out of
school and he/she worked little and poorly. In the WISE he/she is insecure: he/she fears
judgement and being inadequate. He/she works better alone than in a group and
he/she is also lonely in his/her daily life. He/she is not averse to technology but
struggles to engage in learning.
- The Naif: He/she has a mental disability, approaches the WISE and life in general in
an enthusiastic and happy way, is very grateful to supporters and very proud of his/her
work, to which he/she devotes a lot of energy, even though he/she has considerable
cognitive limitations that he/she cannot overcome.
4.8 Latvia
4.8.1 Scenarios
Currently, 29% of the companies included in the official

register of social enterprises operate in work integration in
Latvia. The main purpose of these enterprises is to give
work opportunities to people at risk of social exclusion. 192
employees of target groups (109 women and 83 men) have
started working in social enterprises, including 143 persons
with disabilities or mental disorders, 34 who are formerly
unemployed, 7 who are former prisoners and other 8
WSNs. However, we can note that 49 employees of the
target group have stopped working in social enterprises. Some vulnerable persons
from targets groups such as refugees, the homeless, victims of trafficking and persons
caring for a child after reaching the age of majority – a grandchild, a brother, a half-
sister, a sister, a grandparent, a spouse from disability group I or a person with a
mental disorder from disability group II – have not been employed in social enterprises.
The last of these groups has been added relatively recently. The growth potential of the
target groups involved in social entrepreneurship remains despite the fact that some
target groups are currently not employed.
With regards to the sector of activity of WISEs in Latvia, they operate in various fields
and meet a range of the needs of society. Their sector of activities are sport and leisure,
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culture, education, the production of goods and the provision of services. Although the
majority – or 58% – of work integration companies operate in the service sector, the
number of manufacturing companies is growing. Concerning the percentage of the
other sectors of activities, 36% of WISEs were active in the production of food and
beverages, clothing, wood and furniture, paper and cardboard packaging, and 6% in
agriculture and forestry at the end of 2021.
The great majority of officially registered WISEs in Latvia are typical Productive WISEs
operating in the different sectors of activities such as manufacturing, production of
food and beverages and clothing. Due to the legal framework, they must be registered
as limited liability companies. This means that their businesses should be independent
from the public bodies and should have at least 50% of their workers from socially
vulnerable groups.
Even if the majority of WISEs are Productive WISEs, there are three or four Social WISEs,
acting as NGOs, in the country, which aim to create socialising opportunities and sell
the products created. They are perceived as a social service rather than a social
enterprise.
Training WISEs are also present in the same quantity as Social WISEs. The objective of
Training WISEs is to help socially vulnerable persons get on to the work market and
create possibilities in this direction. Like Social WISEs, even these WISEs often fail to
achieve economic conditions that make them autonomous units. However, the number
of WISEs operating as NGOs is not clear in Latvia because no research has been done
to estimate the amount.
The future of WISEs is moving towards something positive due to the creation, by many
municipalities, of sheltered workshops for people with mental disabilities. They could
sell creative products made in this kind of place.
The use of technology may depend on the sector of activity of WISEs. Indeed, in a WISE
call centre, its use remains paramount and is quite high. Therefore, the company is
aware of the digital transition and is ready to develop new skills in this area and use
them to improve its capabilities. However, for some WISEs in the country, the use of
digital technology remains rather average as only the equipment for the main activities
is digital. Generally, supporters and enablers are aware of the need to learn new
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technological trends and acquire new skills. Finally, other WISEs do not opt for
technology in their daily work as its use is not necessary.
4.8.2 Personas
4.8.2.1 Enablers
Four Personas profiles of enablers can be explained in this way:
- Enabler – Type 1: She is a purposeful leader of a department of a five-person team.

Her main education is in working with people. She has been through many courses of
self-development and now she is learning coaching to help her workers solve their
issues on their own. In her free time, she has many hobbies. Concerning her last
experience, she was sales manager in a large company, and she decided to join the
WISE because business development makes sense.
- Enabler – Type 2: She is a woman with a congenital disability, and her desire is to
change the stereotypes about people with disabilities. She has a degree in business
administration and technical manufacturing of fashion items. In the past, she has
worked for commercial companies but now she is running two social enterprises in
parallel related to the fashion industry. She is responsible for all the management of
the company.
- Enabler – Type 3: She is the leader of the organisation and the mother of a person
with a mental disability. Her daughter is part of the organisation’s beneficiaries. She
obtained her master’s degree in social enterprise management. More than 15 years
ago, she created an interest group, as an NGO, for parents of people with disabilities
and created a social enterprise to divide the functions. During her free time, she is
involved with religious organisations. Her personal motivation is reflected in her
political engagement since she is a representative in her local municipality.
- Enabler – Type 4: He is the manager of an enterprise and runs the day-care centre for
the last 25 years. As his sister has a disability, his mother created one of the first
workshops for people with disabilities in Latvia and she was involved in social service
provision. He has continued his work and tries to create new services and
opportunities for people who live in their day-care centre or come to the workshops.
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He is very knowledgeable, and he leads workshops and lectures on the topic of
disability.
4.8.2.2 Supporters
Regarding supporters, we have one profile presented as:
- Supporter 1 – Type 1: He is an active professional, as he manages all the processes

and workers. He has been educated in a different field and he works in a WISE as it is
his passion. He worked for the first time with people with disabilities in a WISE. He is
open, very supportive and gives instructions very clearly because he knows and
understands the skills and abilities of all the workers with mental disabilities and are
living in the group houses.
5.3.1.1 Workers with support needs
Finally, the following Personas are WSNs summarised as:
- Workers with support needs – Type 1: She is a person with a disability that has been
acquired in the workplace from working in bad conditions. She might be from a socially
lower class with fewer opportunities to choose well-paid jobs or originally from a region
far away from the development centres. She obtained a vocational education where
the salary is below average. She cannot work in every workplace because she needs
special conditions to be productive due to her disability. She changed work a lot until
she started to work at a WISE. She does not want to change her current job even if the
salary is not high as she feels safe.
- Workers with support needs – Type 2: She is a Ukrainian refugee, fleeing war, who is
working in a WISE for a short period. She has a congenital disability. She has a
vocational education in the profession, and she has worked in her field for all her
working life. This is her second job, found through online advertisement since she
arrived in Latvia three months ago. Her family is also supporting her in her daily
activities.
- Workers with support needs – Type 3: She is originally from socially bad conditions
in the region of Latvia, and she has congenital mental disorders. She stayed in social
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housing for five years and helped with farming. She was educated in a specialised
education institution, and she went to workshops to learn crafts, but her first work
experience was a WISE, which was related to her skills. She gained self-confidence and
motivation to live an independent life. For that, she meets a personal assistant helping
her with spending the money. Although she has a touchscreen phone and uses
Facebook, she is not really open to learning digital skills, as she is afraid of the change.
- Workers with support needs – Type 4: He had a complicated childhood due to

harassment in schools and this led to changing schools several times. He was
diagnosed with a disability, and he moved to group housing for three years after the
family member who took care of him died. Before, he helped his family in their
business, and he graduated from a specialised school. This persona has been part of
different workshops to learn crafts. He is writing his own poems and songs and he likes
singing. He is very open and talkative and proud to go to the store alone.
- Workers with support needs – Type 5: She has been running her own businesses
and was very active in the past, but this was disrupted by a diagnosis of oncological
illness or accident. Her family were very supportive and helpful during this hard time.
Wanting to regain her self-confidence after the diagnosis, she asked to be involved in
the WISE and now she is a very good worker.
4.9 The Netherlands
4.9.1 Scenarios
WISEs have been an important stakeholder in improving

social integration in the Netherlands. Since political
changes in 2015, WISEs can apply for more schemes
making it easier to hire a broader target group. This
stimulates the growth of WISEs and makes the social firms’
sector more attractive as a business model. Although WISEs
are an established concept in the country, less data is
available on the entire sector. This is partly due to the lack
of a dedicated legal status or structure for WISEs. WISEs
operate under other existing legal forms: Association, Foundation, Cooperative, Private
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company with limited liability and Public limited company/stock corporation. These
enterprises are formally recognised under the legal form under which they operate but
not as social enterprises or WISEs (even though they are in fact). There are no clear
statistics on the number of WISEs. Therefore, estimations on the number of social
enterprises, and more specifically WISEs, in the Netherlands vary widely.
There is no threshold of WSNs by law. WISEs in the Netherlands predominantly adopt a

mixed strategy in which they offer both more permanent places as well as transitional
occupations. Productive WISEs, Social WISEs and Training WISEs are present. In
addition, three archetype scenarios can be distinguished: the Former Sheltered
Workshop, The David to Goliath and The Rocket Ship.
The Former Sheltered Workshop is a large Productive WISE active in various sectors
such as green maintenance, cleaning, catering work, transport and logistics. Moreover,
the target group is also broad, and the main objective is to provide the target group a
paid job with a conventional employer or a challenging job within the protected
environment of the WISE. They employ between 600 and 3,500 WSNs, with between
10% and 20% of employees acting as staff and supporting staff. The way WSNs receive
income differs. Some have a paid employment contract; some receive a supplement
from a social benefit service. It uses various technologies and digital tools and can be
compared to conventional companies. Technologies are used for internal
communication and administration. Invoicing is done online and there are cloud
services for e-mail, software, file storage, bookkeeping and hosting. It works with a
target group where digital skills are often not or barely developed, and in which this will
always be a major challenge.
The David to Goliath is also a Productive WISE, although it has a training dimension as
its work method. The focus is on strengthening and educating WSNs. This WISE is most
likely active in one sector or has some overlap with similar industries. It can be a
specialist in hospitality, brewing, recycling/retail or facility management. It employs
between 30 and 100 WSNs. Some of them are employed in the form of volunteer work
or daytime activity, others have a paid employment contract and/or receive a
supplement from a social benefit service. This type of WISE has an annual turnover
from 1 million to 2.5 million euros per year, but the financial situation is not optimal.
The WISE has a positive attitude towards the use of technology and believes that it
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offers new ways to improve work integration; the only reluctance regards cost and time
to implement such systems.
The Rocket Ship is a Productive WISE even if it has some training elements. The WISE
uses a work method focusing on individual support, training and coaching by its own
vocational training courses and offers training in different levels of education. The
target group is vast and it employs between 150 and 1,000 WSNs. The way WSNs
receive income differs. Some have a paid employment contract; some receive a
supplement from a social benefit service. The sector of activity differs as it can be in
brewery, recycling, retail or facility management and this WISE is interested in
expanding to other sectors. The majority of its revenue comes from market income; it
has grown in recent years, and this is expected to continue for the future. The income
sources ensure a financially healthy organisation with an ability to grow. This WISE uses
various technologies and digital tools and can be compared to conventional
companies. However, there is a reluctance to continue digitalisation in the workplace
due to the low digital skills of the workers.
4.9.2 Personas
4.9.2.1 Enablers
The following Personas are enablers:
- The Idealist: This persona either founded the WISE or was drawn to the WISE at a
later stage because these enterprises and their goals are much in line with the
worldview and ideal of the enabler. They are very passionate about the job and are
therefore able to handle a huge workload. Their values include a social dimension and
also environmental sustainability goals. The enabler uses various digital products at
work and for private use, mostly means of digital communication, but also online
marketing and management tools. Digitalisation in the company has so far not been a
priority for them and they do not have extensive knowledge of the possibilities of
technology support for employees.
- The Social Entrepreneur: This enabler either founded the WISE or joined the WISE at
a later stage and made it into the successful company it is today. They are a natural
talent in combining social goals and entrepreneurship. They are highly educated, highly
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motivated and have strong communication and leadership skills. They have the ability
to carry out challenging projects and enter into partnership with big clients. Due to
their ambitions, the WISE has grown in recent years, and this is expected to continue.
They are using various digital tools at work like digital communication, online marketing
and management tools for time efficiency.
- The System Thinker: This persona came to an already established WISE and helps
transition this large, former sheltered workplace into a modernised, ready-for-the-
future WISE. This enabler is highly experienced and educated. They are driven by social
missions, and they have a strong commitment to the company’s goals. They attended
training courses such as motivational speaking and project management to improve
their skills. Due to their position, they are actively looking at the issue of digitalisation
and the application of technology. For them, digitalisation can stimulate work
integration and they are willing to make it deployable if it turns out to be necessary.
4.9.2.2 Supporters
We can distinguish three Personas profiles of supporters:
- The Old Hand in the field: With more than ten years in a WISE, this persona has had
years of experience in the field of supporting WSNs. He/she has a medium-high level of
education, is involved and keeps up with the new developments of the company.
Approaching retirement age, they have less and less ambition to develop certain
competencies. They use digital technologies in their work and have seen the use of it
increase over the years. They are concerned about the ability to secure employment of
WSNs if the workplace is further computerised. This persona thinks that technology is a
threat to valuable work for the volunteers.
- The Trained Helper: With an educational background in job coaching or human

resource management, they started working at the WISE with an intrinsic motivation.
Beyond the diversity of age and previous work experience, they are all professionals
looking for a challenge with social objectives. This persona is highly motivated and
involved in the skill development of WSNs. This type of supporter also guides WSNs
with digital challenges they encounter. Digitalisation is perceived as something that
serves the growth of the company and as a useful tool to support people.
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- The Accidental Enthusiast: They worked in many different sectors and workplaces
before joining the WISE. Some came because they were missing a sense of social
impact in their old jobs, some joined the WISE more randomly in search of a new job
and experience. They do not have experience with supporting WSNs but the idea of
working with a special target group appealed to them intrinsically. They are empathic,
eager to learn and looking for new challenges. This persona has average/good digital
skills and mainly uses digital tools for communication and administration. He/she
thinks that technological innovation is convenient and makes work faster and easier.

Finally, with respect to WSNs, the following Personas profiles are presented as:
- The Satisfied Employee: He/she started to work in a WISE through an employment

agency, benefits agency or through (re)integration trajectories. The competences of
representatives of this persona are quite similar even if they have differences in age,
educational background and life experience. They do not complain and are content
with their job. This persona is ready to learn at quiet moments and he/she can take
his/her time to master actions. He/she is also supported by his/her family for the
administrative part and digital tasks. Besides using a mobile phone, their digital skills
are not developed, as there is a little to no awareness about digital technologies. But
they feel more independent by using their mobile phone.
- The Hard Worker: This persona started in the WISE through a social benefit service
and has been there for a while. They had trouble finding/keeping a job for various
reasons. In previous workplaces they did not receive the support they needed. They
gain confidence and follow training courses to grow in their role and have gained
responsibilities. There is an eagerness to learn, and they would like to see even more
development opportunities within the WISE. They have digital skills but beside digital
communication tools, technology is not relevant at their work. However, in their private
life, the role of digital technology is more important, such as using phones, using
computers for social media, online shopping, banking, etc.
- The Slow Starter: Being fairly young, without qualifications and maybe having had
some run-ins with the law, this persona had some trouble finding their way into the
workforce. They came to the WISE after being matched by the probation service, job
centre or the municipality and had an intrinsic interest in facility services. Their main
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objective is to hold a stable job and get a house. They are ambitious, as they desire to
start their own company and learn with other young people with similar backgrounds.
This profile mainly uses digital means of communication and using computer programs
or apps is not a problem for them. Some equipment they work with operates
mechanically and asks for some training but in general such equipment is not a highly
technological tool.
4.10 Poland
4.10.1 Scenarios
According to the 2006 Act, social cooperatives can be

established by both natural persons and legal persons (e.g.,
municipalities), but the establishment of a social enterprise
is a long and demanding process. WSNs can be employed
under normal conditions, in a WISE, with subsidised wages,
but also in the sheltered labour market in any entity with
sheltered workshop status (ZPCh) and in vocational activity
establishments (ZAZ). We can also observe social
employment taking place in the form of six-month training
programmes in special training centres (CIS) with a possibility that workers find
subsidised employment with regular employers and in social cooperatives.
The number of ZAZs at the end of 2021 amounted to 134 and the total number of
employees was 8,203. The average number of employees per establishment was 61.
We can observe that they are mainly engaged in manufacturing and service activities
(75%) followed by 22% in services and 3% in production. The majority of the ZAZs have
diversified activities, including gastronomy (such as catering), handicrafts, laundry
services, cleaning services, printing, tailoring services, agriculture and horticulture,
carpentry and joinery, assembly services, hospitality, rehabilitation services, etc.
With regards to social cooperatives in Poland, 1,547 were registered in 2019 and the
average number of people employed per cooperative was 5 during the same year but
with a large discrepancy between regions in Poland. The cooperatives perform diverse
tasks, on average no less than two types of services, often from related areas such as
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social care, care services, general construction and/or housekeeping services,
education and culture and organisation of events. They operate in diverse sectors of
activities: manufacturing; wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles including
motorcycles and motorbikes; administrative and support services; and construction,
accommodation and catering.
4.10.2 Personas
The four following Personas are WSNs:
- Persona: Type A – Significant life difficulties and little support from the
immediate environment: The family of this person with a disability care for them and
seeks various forms of education and rehabilitation that will develop his/her skills as
much as possible. He/she received a primary or secondary education and functions
well socially with his/her own circle of friends and pursues his/her interests. However,
this persona can experience the breakdown of relationships with family and/or their
immediate environment due to their difficulties. If support from the family/close
environment is lacking, this exacerbates the isolation and makes the prospect of a
positive solution to the difficulties less likely, which begin to deepen and perpetuate.
Concerning the use of technology, this persona is at the level of meeting basic needs.
- Persona: Type B – Significant level of hardship in life and strong support from
immediate environment: The parents of this persona care about them, but they are
not able to provide, for various reasons, optimal conditions for development and equal
education opportunities. The support of family makes it possible to lessen the
difficulties faced and find the best solution to improve their life situation. Regarding
technology, the conditions and perspectives are similar to those of the environment in
terms of opportunities and needs. If a person grows up/lives in an environment where
the use of technology-based devices is common, it will also be a natural process for
them to use the current ones and implement new applications.
- Persona: Type C – Slight life difficulties and little support from the family and
social environment: Their family is a dysfunctional environment. They are unable to
provide education and emotional support to a person with a disability. This persona is
socially withdrawn but has little independence and often relies on institutional support.
The difficulties for these WSNs are temporary, although without the help of family or
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social environment they can last for longer. They will not be keen to develop digital
skills as they will first seek to overcome their difficulties.
- Persona: Type D – Insignificant level of difficulties in life and comprehensive

support from the family and social environment: This persona has a minor or
moderate degree of disability and is independent and communicates within their
environment without problems. He/she receives primary or vocational education in
mainstream public institutions and acquires social competences. The persona
experiences difficulties in life, but these seem to be temporary due to the support from
the immediate environment. People with this profile will use technology at a level
similar to that observed in their wider environment. If there is a need and opportunity,
they will also adopt new technologies.
4.11 Romania
4.11.1 Scenarios
In 2021, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS),

227.500 people were unemployed in Romania. Of these,
most people, 152.700, live in rural areas. Law 76/2002 titled
“Stimulation of employers to hire the unemployed” provides
in Art. 85: employers who hire for an indefinite period;
unemployed over 45 years of age; unemployed who are sole
parents supporting single-parent families; long-term
unemployed or NEET young people. They receive 2,250 lei –
the minimum guaranteed wage – each month, for a period
of 12 months (18 months for persons with a disability) for each person employed in
these categories, with the obligation to maintain the employment or service relations
for at least another subsequent 18 months. In Romania, employers with at least 50
employees have the obligation to ensure at least 4% of the average number of
employees in the company are people with disabilities; but public authorities and
institutions, as well as legal entities, public or private, do not employ people with
disabilities.
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Protected forms of employment are a protected workplace and an authorised
protected unit. In May 2022, 299 protected units were authorised in Romania, with
1,906 employees, of whom 1,227 were people with disabilities. According to the same
source, in 2021, 35,213 people with disabilities were employed, which means that the
employment rate of people with severe disabilities in Romania was 12%, the lowest in
the EU.
The social economy Law No 219 of 2015 has given official recognition to this sector and
certified companies as social enterprises. Article 8, paragraph 4 of the social economy
Law 219/2015 highlights the criteria to be recognised as a social enterprise:
a) act for a social purpose and/or for the general purpose of the community;
b) allocate at least 90% of the profit earned to the social purpose and to the statutory
reserve;
c) undertake to transmit the assets remaining after the liquidation to one or more
social enterprises.
The same law provided legal recognition of Social WISEs aiming at work integration.
Social enterprises that ensure that at least 30% of total employment time is spent by
vulnerable people and provide a work integration process for these workers may
receive a social label from the county employment services. However, many social
economy enterprises are integrating people from vulnerable groups into employment
without being certified as social enterprises or Work Integration Social Enterprises. In
Romania, there are currently 180 certified WISEs and nearly 160 have been certified in
the years 2021–2022, under the start-up grants schemes financed through the
European Social Fund Human Capital Operational Programme HCOP 2014–2020. The
only WISEs with proven sustainability are those enterprises certified at least three years
ago and there are eight enterprises that were certified before 2021. All are non-profit
organisations/associations active in the social field, or commercial companies owned
by them.
WISEs in Romania use technology at the level of other companies active in the same
sector – the level needed for their stage of development and size. They are not active in
technology-intensive sectors but rather in those needing intensive manual work such
as second-hand shops. They use technology such as alarm systems, cameras,
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computers and smartphones and can be active extensively on social media for
marketing purposes.
4.11.2 Personas
4.11.2.1 Enablers
Regarding the enabler, this person can be described as:
- Enabler – socially minded, empathic and results-oriented: This persona could be a

social entrepreneur, a social innovator or a founder of an enterprise. They are a very
well-intentioned person who has seen a problem in society and has sought solutions.
They are intelligent, with significant work power and determination. They are problem
solvers, people oriented towards looking for the best solutions to social and work-
related marginalisation. Though the environment from which they come may be
different, the purpose is common: leave a better place than they found. The only
problem they have is the short time and the multitude of projects they want to
implement. They completed one or more undergraduate and/or master’s degrees not
necessarily linked to the work in the social enterprise – some have experience in social
studies, social work or psychology, and some have business experience and/or studies.
They have a sustainable business model in mind and are mindful of costs and revenues
but the most successful and resilient are willing to try new business or social
endeavours with their enterprises. They have very good management skills and the
capacity to deal with both the social and the business side of the enterprise at an above
average level. Their use of technology is at an average level and highlights the power of
digital skills today. Their living style – which is sober and sustainable – is connected with
professed values and they are frustrated with politics and the relationships with the
public sector.
4.11.2.2 Supporters
The following persona is a supporter:
Some WISEs call them job coaches who are working directly with the target group in the
production area. Generally, they are very well-trained technically, having more than 10
years working in the technical sector and in larger-size teams. Sometimes, they do not
have experience in working with a specific group. This can create difficult situations, so
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they need to be able to deal with people in general and be patient and dedicated to the
social mission. However, most job coaches have extensive professional experience and
some are towards the end of their professional career. They have the most
responsibilities and interactions with WSNs as they coordinate, supervise, monitor and
follow up with them. They fulfil both the role of a professional trainer and that of a
social worker, therapist, confidant and support person. They are trained to a medium
level, either through formal education or through vast on-the-job training and
experience. They may have accidentally ended up in the WISE looking for a job or a
place to put their skills to good use. They understand that the social part of the WISE is
very important: they appreciate and respect it. They can also be part of the vulnerable
groups. Through loyalty and work, they manage to have a thriving career inside the
WISE. These people use technology every day and in general are open to learning new
things.
Regarding social integration and education, they have an education in social

professions – as psychologists, social workers and human resources specialists, for
instance in special education. They are called counsellors or social coordinators. Their
main responsibilities are recruiting WSNs and integrating them in the WISE’s activity,
holding individual and group discussion with them. Also, they try to support WSNs to
continue learning and to change their attitudes by being more open towards learning.
They underline that their job is full of new challenges, and it can be very tiring and
difficult to get away from work physically, mentally and emotionally. They are
motivated by their values and missions. Concerning their future perspectives, they
desire to open a centre for adults with functional diversity, attending to more
formations and pursuing further education related to the profession.

Finally, WSNs can be summarised as:
The WSNs have different types of disadvantages such as disabilities, harsh family
backgrounds (poor or no connection with their families), lack of educational
backgrounds and affective and behavioural issues. Some are persons confronted with
various social challenges due to their family histories, social difficult lives abandoning
school, health problems, no income, no housing or living with relatives, very low skills
or no employment. They have a low level of education: some have difficulty reading,
writing and counting, and they are ashamed by this situation. Consequently, the WISEs
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provide full support to them to continue/finish their studies, as they are free to go to
classes during working hours. Some of them are eager to share their stories and some
are not, because they consider them to be about failure, which makes some of them
even invent stories about their life. Some of them want to quit WISEs as they are not
interested in developing the skills necessary for an independent life. They are
employed and paid through a contract. The use of technology in their personal lives is
for online shopping, internet banking and watching movies and series. They have
difficulty in performing more complex technological tasks such as filling out an online
form or placing an online order. Also, they need support to improve reading and
writing skills and to manage personal budgets.
4.12 Slovenia
4.12.1 Scenarios
The WISE sector in Slovenia is mostly represented by small-

scale enterprises. Outside of major cities, WISEs are usually
staffed by no more than six people, including the legally
required five workers and one enabler, who is also the
legally required supporter. Typically, WISEs offer services
such as managing green areas, assembly of non-complex
factory products, cleaning, etc. WSNs in these WISEs are
mostly overqualified for the type of work they are doing, but
are not comfortable doing more, or more accurately, being
under more stress and taking more responsibility. They are employed with full-contract
remuneration, but the pay they receive is not high. Since the remuneration of WSNs is
paid in part through a government scheme, WISEs are able to get by even when
business is not good enough to keep a non-subsidised company afloat. This point
shows a contribution to the lack of development because WISEs will continue to
provide employment but will not develop beyond what is necessary. Some WISEs will
occasionally find another WISE and then delegate workers that are better suited to the
business to that respective WISE. We can also observe that persons with mental health
difficulties are employed on the open market, but rather through ignoring their
vulnerability than through acknowledging it.
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All WISEs fall comfortably within the productive model. They exhibit some of the
productive qualities listed – specifically, their budgets reflect their economic activity and
all workers are employed via a full contract. Competition with non-WISE enterprises is
limited, as WISEs seek to fill local niches and engage in low-skilled labour. They do not
position themselves in low-profit sectors and sometimes monopolise certain services in
local areas, occasionally with the assistance of the local government. They prioritise
stability and employment for workers over profit and competition.
Training WISEs as such do not really exist in Slovenia, and if they do, they take the form
of social care programmes that are not a part of the labour market. WISEs do have a
training dimension, but there are few, if any, formal training procedures. Each WISE
trains its employees for the labour they are expected to provide through the supporter
system.
Social WISEs exist in Slovenia in the form of Social Activation programmes. These are
not companies or WISEs in the traditional sense but programmes that are sometimes
run by WISEs. These programmes are almost all the same, providing assembly services
for large firms. These services are profitable for larger firms because they allow them
to disregard the quota system in Slovenia.
Turnover is not very high and mostly happens with staff without disabilities. Vulnerable
workers are almost never laid off, even when they are continuously hospitalised,
absent from work, etc. It is essential to highlight that WISEs prioritise employment over
profit. Investment in productive machinery is mixed. WISEs all try to invest in
equipment that would allow them to maximise profits and minimise labour, but few
have the funds to stay ahead of the curve. Most only replace dilapidated equipment
and invest only when necessary to satisfy the requirements of a contract.
The WISE sector is very heterogeneous and many WISEs offer services beyond simple
labour and would benefit extensively from digitalisation. However, they are facing two
problems: a lack of knowledge of potential solutions and their benefits as well as a lack
of funding to implement these changes. On the other hand, they do not benefit too
much from digitalisation and upgrading equipment because their objective is
employment and not profitability. But it is also possible that WISEs would benefit from
more contracts, better effectiveness and other effects of digitalisation, as more profit
would ensure better stability and employee retention.
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4.12.2 Personas
4.12.2.1 Enablers
We can distinguish four Personas profiles of enablers:
- The young entrepreneur: Idealistic and competitive, they bring a fresh perspective
and potential to stale concepts as they are mostly directors of newer WISEs. Some of
them have taken over for retiring older directors. This enabler has little to no education
or experience with social work and tends to be close with or paternalistic towards
vulnerable groups. He/she often overworks or underutilises his/her employees due to
their lack of experience in this specific work environment. He/she has poor
understanding of the role of supporters and mostly does not use them in their
intended capacity – to mentor employees.
- The mature entrepreneur: Older enablers who spent their time in the social
economy sector. They are not social workers but have enough experience to guide
their WISE through the complex Slovenian system of remuneration and government
assistance. Their network of business and government contacts is significant as they
have many years of experience. This is a considerable asset to secure funding.
However, they do not desire to significantly change the manner that WISEs operate.
- The young saviour: They are social workers without business experience and have
trouble maintaining profit, securing contracts and running their WISE as a business.
They excel at assisting vulnerable workers and form bonds quickly. Being aware of their
needs, they know how to use their supporters and are, by and large, effective
rehabilitators. Their naivety prevents them from maintaining the necessary discipline
and often leads to supporters taking on the mantle of authority within the WISE.
- The mature saviour: This profile has enough experience to manage the business side
of things effectively. Although they know how to operate within the system, they lack
the courage and familiarity to exploit it and generate profit.
4.12.2.2 Supporters
The following Personas are supporters:
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- The business assistant: They often provide support for the professional skills and
knowledge that directors who are inexperienced in the specific business of the WISE
frequently rely on. The business assistant spends more time on providing skilled labour
than assisting staff.
- The mentor: They assist staff, make sure that they are involved in the process and
provide aid on complex tasks. The mentor is essentially a non-business-oriented
employee whose main concern is to maintain the well-being of WSNs through job
training, monitoring and basic counselling.
- The CEO: Most WISEs will not employ an additional mentor but simply have the
enabler handle that function as well due to their small size. This leads to considering
alternatives for economic necessity. The CEO is often overwhelmed by the business
side of things, has little time to spend in a mentor role and may be absent for WSNs
due to the requirements of the business.

Concerning the three profiles of the WSNs, they can be described as:
- The worker in rehabilitation: This persona is dealing with the immediate aftermath
of their disability or are involved in the WISE because it contributes to their well-being.
The worker in rehabilitation has little interest in the business and also in the financial
compensation offered. He/she considers that the WISE is a part of his/her healing
process and is employed in position with minimal stress and provides simple labour.
- The temporary worker: He/she is working temporarily in the WISE, as they are in
rehabilitation but considers this work environment as a place for people to heal and
not a legitimate business. He/she is sometimes highly skilled and has more autonomy
compared to the first WSN profile. This is a temporary worker is highly educated and
believes that they will, sooner or later, return to their ‘real’ and ‘legitimate’ careers.
- The professional: Skilled, experienced and loyal, they are among older staff and are
good long-term employees. However, any attempt to modernise or change business
models is stressful to their routines and might be received negatively. The professional
has adapted the workplace according to his/her needs and he/she rarely shows
ambition to transfer or improve.
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4.13 Spain
4.13.1 Scenarios
The officially registered WISEs in Spain are typical

Productive WISEs. The cases studied operate in three
predominant sectors of activity such as cleaning services;
restaurants, catering, foods; and packaging. However, they
are involved in other sectors and this diversification is
perceived as an asset for WISEs. Indeed, it allows economic
losses in one business area to be offset by profits in
another. In Spain, we can observe that there are three types
of legally recognised WISEs known as: Special Employment
Centres (CEE), Work Integration Enterprises (EI) and Social Initiative Cooperatives (CIS).
Special Employment Centres aim to integrate persons with disabilities into the labour
market but also to provide the personal and social adjustment services they require, in
line with their circumstances and in accordance with the regulations. They were
created as an employment solution for persons with disabilities in the 1982 Social
Integration of People with Disabilities Act. Concerning their workforce, at least 70%
must be persons with disability grades of 33% or over. They represent 68% of WISEs in
Spain and we can count 2,200 in 2020 employing 100,000 persons with disabilities.
WSNs are mostly in temporary contracts and receive a salary similar to other workers in
mainstream companies. In this form of WISEs, there are two different types: social
initiative CEEs as non-profit, and entrepreneurial initiative CEEs as for-profit. However,
all types of CEEs can benefit from the same aid and support schemes, except for
reserved contracts. Their resources are mainly from the sale of goods and services and
also from public subsidies. Indeed, they use this public support to defray the salaries of
the WSNs and supporters. The amount is based on the number of persons with
disabilities working in the CEE and the level of support required for them. Investment,
profitability and turnover depend on the size, the sector and the stage of development
of the WISE but also vary from one CEE to another. The main competitors of Special
Employment Centres are mainstream companies, and this competition is present in all
sectors of activity.
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Social Initiative Cooperatives are non-profit organisations that aim to develop an
economic activity in order to integrate persons at risk of exclusion in the mainstream
labour market. Among these persons, there are women from single-parent families or
victims of gender violence, migrants or refugees, and/or long-term unemployed or
unemployed aged over 45. These WSNs are similar to other workers in mainstream
enterprises in the same sector. They represent 26% of WISEs in the country. We can
notice that they were 850 in 2020 and no data is available on the number of WSNs
employed. Moreover, there is no required minimum number of WSNs in this type of
WISE. Their main resources are mainly from the sale of goods and services and their
turnover is low/medium. Contrary to the CEEs, the public subsidies received are not
high and they are used to cover the labour costs of employees.
For the last type of WISE in Spain, Work Integration Enterprises work to develop
training and work integration itineraries for persons at risk of social exclusion, who
must make up at least 50% of the workforce. EIs represent 6% of all WISEs; there were
185 in 2020, employing some 4,300 WSNs. The main goal is the transition to the open
labour market, so they get personalised itineraries with a duration of up to three years.
EIs generate income from the sale of goods and services and this represents 78% of
their revenue. Regarding their turnover, it is usually low/medium and depends on
public contracts. Although they receive public support, this is not perceived as high
because it represents around 20% of their income and it covers mainly the salaries of
workers.
Regarding the use of technology, it may depend on the sector of activity of WISEs but
also their size and the commitment of their management teams. We can observe that
WISEs in Spain are more advanced in the digitalisation of management processes than
in the digitalisation of services or production processes. The level of digitalisation of
support systems for WSNs is low and not all enterprises have developed digital
marketing strategies. The use of e-mail, video conferencing platforms and cloud
storage systems is common in technical teams. However, the digitalisation of
production processes can be seen as a threat to workers due to the risk of losing jobs.
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4.13.2 Personas
4.13.2.1 Enablers
Regarding Personas of enablers, we can describe a general profile:
- Juan (not his real name): he saw his father as a role model as he learned the skills of
sacrifice and hard work. However, he does not want to pursue the family business, in
the transport of goods, because he also has social concerns. Juan has an educational
background in business administration and management and took a postgraduate
course in Management and Administration of Social Projects. He was an intern in a
company with a social and labour integration of young adults at risk of social exclusion.
After his internship, he started as a freelancer and later as an employee in several
companies in the industrial sector. He joined a WISE in the accounting department in a
middle management position. Juan is a determined and hard-working person, and this
was noticeable from the very beginning, as he proposed implementing an Enterprise
Resource Plan (ERP) to streamline administration, achieving very positive results. He
brought up the idea of replicating the digitalisation of management processes in other
departments of the company, which ultimately led to implementing a digitalisation
strategy for all management and production processes.
4.13.2.2 Supporters
For supporters, we have one profile presented as:
- Almudena (not her real name): She always knew that she wanted to help others and
this aspect was demonstrated when she was young, at school, as she supported her
classmates who had difficulties in studying and interacting with others. Therefore, she
obtained a degree in social work and a master’s degree in social intervention.
Concerning her professional background, she began as an intern social worker in an
Employment Support Service. She wished to focus more on accompaniment and
monitoring those in need of integration, helping them to keep their jobs after noticing
that some were coming back to the service looking for a job since they had lost their
jobs, they could not meet the expectations or they had not had their contracts
renewed. That is how she started working in a WISE as a support technician for a work
centre in her home province. Almudena has shown strong commitment, flexibility and
involvement, and she has proposed an Individualised Care Plan for each WSN. She
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focuses not only on labour issues, but also on the worker’s social family and housing
concerns. This can lead to work overload, as it is complicated to combine all the tasks
such as coaching, recruitment and training at once. She supports the use of digital
technology in the workplace as it would improve the time spent on each task and the
organisation of documentation, while an increase in the number of computers would
offer more training opportunities for WSNs.

Finally, WSNs are summarised as:
- Ana (not her real name): It was difficult for her to find a job in the mainstream
labour market. So, when she received a positive answer for her current job in a
cafeteria, she was very happy. Her family was also overjoyed because they had seen
the difficulties that she faced. The first few weeks were the hardest due to having adapt
and take orders, but her workmates showed their support. Over the course of several
months, she acquired more skills, and she became very quick at taking orders. The
cafeteria decided to start using a digital order taker to speed up the service. The use of
this technology was complicated for Ana although she attended a course to learn how
to use the tablet. Having noticed Ana’s anxiety, her manager proposed that she spend
two weeks with a colleague in order to learn how to correctly use the tablet and
without any mistakes. Ana does not want to leave this workplace as she receives a lot
of support, and she sees them as her second family.
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5 Conclusions
5.1 The main outcomes

The following pages summarise our conclusions and arguments based on the results
shared on the previous pages. Finally, we will propose an analysis that will feed the
subsequent phases of the project.
A transversal assumption needs to be clarified for everything that will be discussed in

this final chapter. The considerations offered are intended to refer to the ‘normal
situation’ of the WISEs of each country (with all the difficulties of defining this concept).
In any case, the report seeks to avoid a narrative referring to the ‘excellences’ that are
also present. It is an approach that is not commonly used, since, for many purposes
(e.g., promotion of the WISE movement, external communication, press office) there is
a tendency to give prominence to the excellent cases that also exist in the different
national contexts. For example, if we ask ourselves about the presence of specific
advanced technological and digital solutions, we will surely find some cases in which
they are adopted, but the point of view with which we will approach this chapter is: are
these common, widespread, frequent solutions? The narrative based on excellence
certainly has an important value: it has contributed and still contributes today to
remove prejudices, of which the WISEs are still victims (e.g., being unentrepreneurial,
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unprofessional, a little ‘approximate’ in organisation – things that are actually
preconceptions that do not correspond to reality), helps to promote awareness of what
WISEs can do and stimulates weaker WISEs to find the practical inspiration that ‘they
also can succeed’ – and are encouraged to do so – from such excellent experiences. But
a narrative based on excellence is of little use when the aim is to strengthen the skills of
WISEs on a wide scale, thus addressing a much broader audience: an audience that in
some countries is composed of a few tens of WISEs, but in others includes thousands
of units, with all the complexity that having to deal with a universe that is consequently
very diverse implies.
5.1.1 Soundness of the WISE system and support policies
A first consideration concerns the relationship between support policies for WISEs and
the degree of development of the WISE ecosystem in each country.
There are two variables to be considered, related to each country’s WISE ecosystem.
The first variable concerns the intensity of support WISEs can receive in a country.
This is a complex issue to capture because, as highlighted in the D1.1 Report (‘WISE
resources’, p. 73 ff.), in addition to the revenues from the sale of goods and services,
there can be additional source of income that may support WISEs financially:
• subsidies (grants from the state, local authorities);

• low-interest loans;
• tax benefits specifically linked to work integration or to WISE status (which do not
generate additional income, but lower expenses, which, however, has the same
result on the WISEs’ profit and loss account);
• explicit forms of remuneration of the social work, variously configured (for
example with payment or contributions for the cost of the work of the supporters
or payment or contributions linked to the number of integrated WSNs);
• contributions for investments or specific projects.
Although this does not directly concern public policy, it should be noted that WISEs can
also receive support from private entities, which recognise the value of their work for
the benefit of the community; this includes non-monetary resources (volunteering, use
of spaces or tools, posting of workers by other companies, etc.). Except in specific
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cases, and even if it can be of great interest for the reasons mentioned above, the
number of resources granted to WISEs by private benefactors is usually limited overall.
Beyond the complexity of accounting for individual measures, everything can be

summarised in one question: what is the share of the revenues deriving from the sale
of goods or services produced by the WISE? Here, ‘Sales revenues’ are, for example,
revenues from cleaning or environmental services, from a good sold in a shop, from
catering or restaurant meals, from cleaning services, and so on. ‘Other income’ means
any revenue that is not from the sales of goods and services such as income for
reintegration services, employment services, training activities, social assistance of
WSNs, contributions from public bodies, daily income for WSNs and income for the
work of supporters.
Although the answer may be more complicated than it appears – for example because
of occasional elements such as participation in a European project or a contribution
from a foundation having a contingent effect in a specific year – a clear distinction
emerges from all the cases studied between:
• Countries where WISEs benefit from significant support (e.g., Austria, Belgium,
France, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain). In these countries, income from
activities other than the sale of goods and services to private or public customers
usually ranges from 25% to 50% and, in some cases, exceeds 70%. ‘Sales of goods
and services’ include, for example, revenues from cleaning services,
environmental services, a good sold in a shop, catering or restaurant meals,
cleaning services and so on. Income for reintegration services, employment
services, training activities, social assistance of WSNs, contributions from public
bodies, daily income for WSNs, income for the work of supporters and so on are
understood as ‘Other income’: other than sales of goods and services.
• Countries where this support regime is non-existent or in any case very limited
(e.g., Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Slovenia, Romania). This group
encompasses different situations, ranging from cases where there is a complete
absence of support to cases where there are limited though not insignificant
forms of support (e.g., in Italy, there are tax exemptions that lower labour costs of
WSNs that can account up to 8% of the turnover).
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This distinction does not necessarily coincide with the one concerning the legal
recognition of WISEs (cf. D1.1 Report, chapter ‘WISE recognition’, p. 60 and ff.) – there
may be cases with weak legal recognition and a significant support system (e.g., Austria
and the Netherlands) that is not linked to a particular form of WISE – but to the type of
activity carried out (for example with contributions commensurate with the number
and type of persons integrated, whatever the enterprise that hires them).
Although it is a more difficult element to assess as a percentage, it should also be

considered that an intensive and widespread use of reserved contracts has de facto
similar results to those of economic support. Reserved contracts are to all intents and
purposes to be included in ‘Sales of goods and services’ as used here, but they have
such characteristics as to in fact represent a valid form of support for WISEs. In other
words, even where turnover is entirely linked to revenues from the sale of goods and
services, if a significant proportion of those goods and services are sold under reserved
procurement, this produces a significant supporting effect, for several reasons:
• to ensure revenues are removed from the harsher aspects of market competition
(although sometimes with some competition between WISEs), exempting WISEs
from engaging in fierce downward competition;
• to offer a certain time horizon for return on investment, giving a relative security
that allows investments to be planned and thus strengthen the WISE.
In the history of WISE development in some countries (e.g., Italy and France), this
second form of support has been greater than the direct economic support; but it
equally supports the development of a robust WISE ecosystem.
The second variable is the relevance of the WISE phenomenon in each country.
Again, this distinction is a simplification and there are intermediate cases. Two
situations can be identified: countries with a strong WISE ecosystem and countries with
a weak WISE ecosystem. Table 10 summarises some of the characteristics that help us
identify strong and weak national WISE ecosystems.
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Table 10 – National WISE ecosystems
Countries with a Countries with a weak
strong WISE ecosystem WISE ecosystem
Number of WISEs Thousands Dozens
WSNs hired Tens of thousands Dozens/hundreds
WISEs’ dimensions Several WISEs, spread WISEs with tens of

over a large part of the thousands of euros in
territory, with several turnovers and few units
million euros in turnover of workers
and hundreds of
workers
Integration Normal wages, WSNs’ wages about

characteristics structured training and €100–200 per month
care
WISEs’ structure Corporate functions Weak company

(including supporters) structure, informal roles,
performed on a difficulties in
professional basis, high- management turnover
level leadership
In countries with weak WISE ecosystems, there are only a few dozen WISEs and the
WSNs hired are only a few hundred. The turnover is minimal in many cases (in the
order of a few tens of thousands of euros up to a few hundred thousand euros) and
there are often dozens of WSNs included in a WISE, circumstances that mean
remuneration per capita is necessarily limited (€100–200 per month).
On the other hand, in strong national WISE ecosystems, there can be several thousands
of WISEs, in which tens of thousands of WSNs (and other workers) are included.
Although there are small WISEs even in these countries, it is also easy to find WISEs
with turnovers of several million euros, substantial investments, high technology levels
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and high-quality management team in several parts of the country; these WISEs offer
market wages for full-time work to WSNs.
Of course, this classification would require introducing more refined variables, for
example comparisons with the size of the population, the size of the target population
or the cost of living in each country. But the data is so well defined that the distinction
between strong WISE ecosystems and weak WISE ecosystems is self-evident.
This should absolutely not be considered a value judgement about the ability or
inability of the persons involved. Beyond the dimensional differences, all the case
studies have highlighted the presence in all countries of organisations and persons
who spend all their energy and their lives with commitment and dedication to improve
the condition of the WSNs. But this does not exempt us from noting that the
differences exist and are significant.
One of the outcomes of the work carried out is that there is an almost integral
correspondence between countries with a developed WISE support system and
strong national WISE systems; and therefore, between national systems with
minimal or non-existent support and a weak national WISE system. There are
some partial exceptions, but on closer inspection they are not in contradiction but
instead reinforce this assertion. This will have to be taken into account when outlining
future policies on WISEs: skills-building activities must set objectives consistent with the
possibilities of each national context.
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Figure 4 – WISE systems and support policies
The precise location of each country within a quadrant is incidental; a more precise version of this graph
would require more in-depth analysis.
This calls for further analysis, which was not carried out as it is not directly related to
the objectives of the B-WISE project.
Where the level of support is sufficiently high, work integration actions do not need to
be compensated by additional resources that are normally attracted by non-profit
organisations (widespread volunteering, donations, etc.).
Thus, both from the case studies presented and from the debates in different
countries, it is easy to see that the actors promoting WISEs can be very different.
In some cases, all WISEs are non-profit organisations. Some WISEs are promoted by
religious bodies, associations of persons with disabilities and their families and persons
with strong ideals of social change. There are WISEs that can rely on significant
contributions from volunteers, have volunteers or semi-volunteers as managers, collect
donations from citizens or charities and so on. In these cases, WISEs are clearly ‘social’
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(in a broad sense) organisations. On the other hand, where the level of public support
makes work integration more sustainable, there are organisations that tend to perceive
work integration as an economic activity. These WISEs are, of course, conscientious
companies in terms of social responsibility, willing to emphasise the social value of
their work, but they may assume some of the characteristics of private for-profit
companies too.
This circumstance is not surprising: in every sector of public interest where the
conditions for profitability are created, profit-seeking entrepreneurial actors intervene,
e.g., in many countries a large private for-profit sector in health care or elderly care has
emerged. Work integration may also attract traditional enterprises seeking profit. In
these cases, the inclusion in the WISE universe is questionable, since the explicit
purpose of work integration (and not the remuneration of investors’ capital) is one of
the founding characteristics of WISEs. This is a borderline case, requiring further
analysis; although the topic has not been elaborated, it might therefore be interesting
to analyse the implications of the coexistence of private and third-sector actors in the
field of work integration.
5.1.2 Productive WISEs, between ideal and ideology
This work started with a re-reading of the WP1 materials that suggested the presence
of three different ideal-typical situations, sometimes present in pure form, more
frequently combined with each other (as is normal in an ideal-typical approach): the
models of the Productive WISEs, the Social WISEs and the Training WISEs, which are
discussed and analysed on p. 33 ff. For further analysis of the report, it is useful to
highlight, with reference to other points in the report, how there is clearly a tension
across the European continent towards the model of Productive WISEs. As already
mentioned in the D1.1 Report, the PW model appears to have a significant appeal not
only in countries where it has traditionally been prevalent, but also where models were
originally more linked to a care approach as in the case of sheltered laboratories:
Sheltered workshops have indeed shifted from being mainly socialising spaces
tailored to PWDs into full-fledged enterprises, the rationale being to provide
regular employment for PWDs and in some cases more broadly for people with
other disadvantages. Against this background, sheltered workshops have started
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to be structured so as to trade on the open market. While in the past, many
sheltered workshops were mainly focused on the production of gift items or
commodities incorporating a rather low added value, those that have shifted
towards a stronger entrepreneurial stance offer today high-quality items and, in
some cases, highly professional services. (WP1 Report, p. 41)
This is a major dynamic that must be understood in all its complexity.
First, this dynamic can be evaluated in positive terms, as an entrepreneurial, dynamic,

autonomous structure of the ‘European model of job placement’. Management teams
with a strong orientation towards development, innovation and professionalism have
turned many WISEs into excellent companies in their fields and sectors of activity, a
clear departure from the negative perception of work integration as ‘assistive’.
However, like all phenomena, this perceived cultural orientation has some aspects that
require caution.
The first, evident in the work of WP2, is the tendency of WISEs to call themselves
‘Productive WISEs’ even when their nature is clearly different (although equally
meritorious). The fact that even a WISE with a turnover of €50,000–80,000 and 20 or 30
WSNs identifies itself as a ‘Productive WISE’ is an indication of the ideal success of the
model, but at the same time also of the difficulty of perceiving the richness of different
models.
The second aspect is more sensitive and deserves special attention. There are
undoubtedly cases (e.g., Austria, Belgium and Spain) where WISEs with high
entrepreneurial strength, supported by policies that adequately reward social and
training functions, are setting up systems that hire in tens of thousands of WSNs,
provide them adequate working conditions and training and, at least in many cases,
bring them into the mainstream labour market. These are the cases where, at least in
certain circumstances, the three ‘WISE models’, with their three functions – productive,
training and social – are integrated into a single organisation. Where this happens,
there is a virtuous combination of stimulating public policies and strong and dynamic
WISEs. However, in many other countries (and even those mentioned here) the
emphasis on the entrepreneurial nature of WISEs has led to policies neglecting their
social function. This is because policymakers, after recognising WISEs for their great
ability to do business and at the same time integrate WSNs, conclude that therefore the
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WISEs ‘can do it themselves’ because they draw resources (even to provide quality
inclusion pathways) from the market. And, in a kind of ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, WISEs
themselves have often embraced this ideology, proudly presenting themselves as
subjects that are able to achieve entrepreneurial, training and social results ‘for free’,
without any additional resources, only through the margins of market activities. This
idea is fascinating, but data shows that usually it is not true; and is dangerous in
relation to the priority of implementing appropriate support policies for WISEs. This
also warns against the emphasis on ‘excellent cases’: WISEs that succeed in achieving
quality work integration and being excellent enterprises only with the resources from
the sale of goods and services. But this is the exception rather than the norm. It is
instead likely that, except in for excellent cases, without adequate support there will be
negative consequences: a crowding-out effect for severely disadvantaged workers,
lower quality of work integration, less development of the WISE ecosystem and the
number of WSNs employed, organisational vulnerability of WISEs and so on.
Two very different cases can be representative of what has been stated. Italy is a
country with a great tradition of WISEs that have been historically supported, even
more than by economic facilitation, by the benefits provided by ‘reserved contracts’
(long before the introduction of the European directives). When even this second
instrument was reduced, the WISE system, while maintaining significant size, gradually
showed elements of fatigue (it became increasingly difficulty to remunerate social and
training functions, to promote exchanges of management teams, to implement
transitional projects even in suitable WISEs; WISEs are impoverished due to downward
competition, etc.). Romania is a country where WISEs are aware of the need to combine
entrepreneurial dynamism with social and educational value. However, as policy
support is very limited, this results in WISEs of minimal size, supported within spin-off
programmes of social organisations, the resources of which can be very limited. The
result is a socially interesting phenomenon and some excellent experiences, but with a
very limited overall dimension.
Going beyond the Stockholm Syndrome mentioned above, it should be borne in mind
that it is not realistic to fully finance social and training functions through market
margins; or that in any case, this is limited to a few excellent cases and cannot be
applied to the majority of WISEs.
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This also tells us that if a skills enhancement action is not to be merely an end it must
be part of a broader transformation affecting the policies and directions of the
development of WISEs. Technological reinforcement of WISEs, in fact, requires at the
same time improving people’s awareness and competence, implementing
organisational strategies and ensuring sufficient policy support to enable WISEs not to
work constantly under the pressure of economic conditions at the limit of
sustainability.
5.1.3 Social WISEs and Training WISEs: WISEs as a part of a Social

Economy Group
In the first outline phase of the working hypotheses, the presence of Social WISEs and
Training WISEs was assumed as an evolution of organisations operating in the welfare
or training fields, later developed in an entrepreneurial sense, but retaining some of
the original characteristics. However, the evolution of protected laboratories, as in the
D1.1 Report (paragraph 2.2.2, p. 20 ff.), can be observed in certain situations and it is
consistent with this hypothesis. There are cases where Social WISEs have evolved over
time in a productive sense; however, they retain some original characteristics related to
the presence of social professionals or training, social management of the people they
employ, etc. In these cases, an intermediate type (Social and Productive WISEs) is the
result of a transition (Social Wises originating Productive WISEs – S2PW).
However, during our research other circumstances were also identified that are
common to many participating countries, particularly those that do not provide
significant support for the social and training functions of WISEs. These are cases in
which a ‘parent’ organisation in the welfare field (less often in the training field)
recognises the need to complement its social function with one or more activities
aimed at promoting the employment of WSNs or, at least, bringing them closer to an
employment status; this may include various aspects such as learning a trade,
socialisation to the working environment, a sense of satisfaction with the low
remuneration received, etc.
These WISEs can manage both workshop activities and activities open to the public; in
this second case, with the dual purpose of facilitating the link between WSNs and
customers and showing citizens that WSNs are able to carry out quality work. These
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activities are often very small in scale and coincide with a single workshop, shop,
restaurant, hotel, etc. Their annual turnover (if considered separately from the parent
organisation) is a few tens of thousands of euros, and sustainability is ensured by the
parent organisation in various forms. Non-WSN staff are often partly remunerated by
the parent organisation as social workers, part of the equipment or real estate is paid
for and made available by the parent organisation, etc. On the other hand, it should be
emphasised that the mentality of the ‘WISE sister’ is strongly oriented towards
achieving an economic balance, and that it does not perceive the activity as an
appendage of a welfare service but sees itself as a company that must try in every way
to become as economically self-sufficient as possible (sometimes with real chances of
success, sometimes not). Basically, there is a symbiosis between the parent
organisation and the WISE sister: the social project of the parent organisation would be
incomplete without the WISE sister, and the WISE sister would not be able to sustain
itself independently without the parent organisation at least in the short term. By
understanding this phenomenon, it is possible to better define intermediate cases of
WISEs that show productive and social characteristics or (less often) productive and
formative characteristics at the same time. Although these aspects go beyond the
scope of B-WISE, it is important to point out that the study of WISEs as part of a Social
Economy Group could be very interesting and fruitful.
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Figure 5 – Example of a Social Economy Group including some WISEs
A different path leading to mixed cases of productive and social or productive and
educational WISEs is that of Productive WISEs that developed significant forms of social
management (P2SW). This can be because they are part of a significant national
support system that is able to support these functions. In other cases, this may happen
even in national systems without this type of support: for a limited number of excellent
WISEs, thanks to the particular entrepreneurial skills that create a consistent economic
margin that is allocated to support social functions; and in other excellent WISEs able to
aggregate community resources of various kinds (donations, institutional philanthropy,
widespread volunteering, etc.) to equip themselves with structured social care.
5.1.4 Technologies
When it comes to technologies, it is useful at this point to ask in what aspects WISEs
can have advantages over, and are similar to, mainstream companies, and where there
is a risk of being a step behind, at least compared to more technologically advanced
non-WISE companies. Answering this difficult question requires articulating the
technology-related analysis into several items; as will be seen, WISEs may be ahead of,
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at the same level or further behind other comparable companies depending on the
specific aspect we examine.
The topics of technology and digitalisation, which are central to B-WISE, are not only
constantly mentioned in the different sections of this report but are also the subject of
a specific annex. However, some of the main outcomes of this work are briefly recalled
here.
1. Internal communication. These are digital technologies to facilitate communication

between workers, such as the use of WhatsApp groups or other messaging applications
or internal newsletters. WISEs show a widespread aptitude for the use of these
technologies that allow continuous and immediate interaction between employees; this
contributes to building a corporate community, creating a pleasant internal climate and
spreading the WISE’s values among employees. It is likely that the level of digitalisation
for this item is higher than in non-WISE companies. Internal communication does not
seem to be one of the issues where action is most needed, although some less
structured WISEs might need support in this area. In addition, widespread use of
internal communication technologies does not necessarily mean that all users also
possess the necessary communication or collaboration skills to use the technology
efficiently and effectively. Therefore, it makes sense to provide adequate training and,
given that both supporters and WSNs use digital communication and collaboration
tools significantly more at home than at work, WISEs should also pay attention to the
need for digital skills in other contexts, outside of the working environment.
2. External communication. These are tools used for corporate marketing, to

promote products or services and to spread a company’s mission. The majority of the
WISEs have a website and an active social channel (usually Facebook), while the most
popular channels among young people (e.g., Instagram and TikTok) are not usually
used. Some WISEs also try to create multimedia content to describe the company
mission and the activities carried out, to make the buyer aware of the social
implications connected to their products; this content is published mainly on YouTube,
but often there is a very low degree of diffusion. External communication technologies
are more widespread in WISEs operating in the catering sector – restaurants, shops,
hotels, etc. (cases where WISEs’ activity consists in selling directly to people) – which
tend to invest more on external communication. WISEs should invest more both in the
quality of their external communication products and in strategies for their promotion.
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3. Training and support. Two different sub-themes are included in this category: 1)
basic aspects of digitalisation as an object of training and consultancy activities towards
WSNs and 2) the use of technology and specifically of online e-learning platforms as a
tool for carrying out training activities.
Regarding the first topic, we found some WISEs offering training support to WSNs (and
other workers) to improve common practices such as looking for information, dealing
with public administration, communicating with other people, buying an object, etc.
This is a positive specificity of WISEs that should be recognised and valued.
Regarding the second topic, many companies have started to provide distance training,
through online e-learning platforms; this happened mainly because of the pandemic.
However, as can also be guessed from the interview, not all workers appreciate these
teaching methods, because they prefer to be accompanied in person and not online.
WISEs could invest in flexible and hybrid training systems combining face-to-face
training and easy forms of e-learning. This may require developing customised e-
learning platforms, accessible even by WSNs. Enabling e-learning to be used on both
smartphones and computers is key.
4. Administration and accounting. This refers to technologies to support office work

and accounting, such as software for electronic invoicing, payroll management, time
and attendance, and employee administration. Some cases have been documented in
which they are still predominantly paper-based, but the level of digitalisation appears
generally good and comparable to that of non-WISE firms of similar size. Generally,
WISEs use dedicated software for administrative tasks; some WISEs have developed
apps and sometimes WISEs have adopted solutions that interconnect the different
software, causing a significant increase in efficiency.
An area that deserves specific attention concerns the tools for digital management of
working integration. For example, ‘digital cards of WSNs’ would allow supporters to
manage, with the necessary guarantees of privacy, information relating to the persons
who have entered the WISE and the path taken (for example periodic checks on the
progress of the work integration, on the learning carried out on the job or through
training courses or on the results of verification sessions carried out jointly with public
services that have the person is in charge of). This kind of support is not absent from
the world of WISEs, but in most cases, it is considered a bureaucratic burden to the
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supporters’ work or perhaps even a formula that takes away warmth and immediacy
from the relationship with the people involved; in fact, such support appears to be
used by a small minority of WISEs.
5. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Enterprise Resource Planning is software for

the integrated management of various activities of the organisation, such as
accounting, procurement, project management, risk and compliance management,
operations and the supply chain. Few WISEs use ERP. The use of an ERP system would
especially allow WISEs that are already digitising different aspects of management and
administration to integrate all the different functions in a single software, providing a
single, complete and constantly updated view of the data relating to different business
areas.
6. Customer Relationship Management (CRM). CRM software helps WISEs to

manage, analyse and optimise interactions with their customers and potential
customers. A large minority of WISEs uses or is implementing CRM. CRM may be useful
to WISEs with more direct contact with customers and to WISEs with a greater amount
of data related to them (B2C companies – Business to Consumer).
7. Data storage. These technologies consist of hardware devices, infrastructure and

software dedicated to the permanent storage of large quantities of information in
electronic format. WISEs integrating digital systems for storing and sharing data and
files appear to be substantially aligned with non-WISE companies.
8. Technologies for products/services and production processes. This is about

several technologies for carrying out production activities. These technologies can vary
significantly in relation to various factors, primarily the sectors of activity. There are
WISEs that integrate various technologies, some of which are cutting-edge, which make
them competitive with traditional companies. On the other hand, there are WISEs that
still carry out manual activities and that have no intention of automating their
processes, either because they believe that it is not necessary for the type of activity or
because they believe that this can cause problems for WSNs. One problem regards
humans being replaced by machines, while WISEs think that technology ‘due to its
intrinsic complexity, is perceived as unsuitable and not very accessible to WSN’:
digitalisation is not perceived as an opportunity, but as a form of increased complexity,
especially for WSNs, according to the equation ‘less technology = greater ease of
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execution and greater employment opportunities for WSNs’. Furthermore, there are
some WISEs that despite wanting to innovate are unable to do so due to limited
financial resources.
9. E-commerce. E-commerce means the sale of products and services online, through
a website or by using special intermediation and distribution platforms, such as
Amazon. Even though the majority of the WISEs analysed have their own website, few
use it for online sales. E-commerce is more widespread in those sectors in which the
sale of products is carried out. Among the WISEs, in fact, the most advanced from this
point of view are those that deal with the sale of clothes and handicrafts, the hospitality
tourism sector due to online booking channels and those with activities in the catering
sector. WISEs do not appear fully aligned with non-WISE companies of the same size
and belonging to the same sectors in this aspect.
10. Assistive technologies. Assistive technologies are those technologies created ad

hoc to make IT products accessible and usable by people with disabilities. Unlike
mechanical or electronic components that are supportive in the activities of daily life
(e.g., wheelchairs), assistive technologies only concern products that are related to IT
and are generally composed of a whole complex of hardware and software integrated
into a standalone device. Although in some cases there is some integration of assistive
technologies within companies, greater investment by WISEs in this area could have
been expected. We would also have expected the development of original and
innovative solutions, given the specialisation of many WISEs in productions involving
WSNs.
11. Emerging technologies. Emerging technologies are technologies whose

development, practical applications or both are still largely unrealised. These
technologies are generally new but also include older technologies finding new
applications. Emerging technologies are often perceived as capable of changing the
status quo. Emerging technologies include a variety of technologies such as artificial
intelligence (AI), big data, the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning (ML). The
use of emerging technologies was not spontaneously mentioned by any WISE
participating in the case studies. On the other hand, surveys in WP1 show that at least a
modest number of WISEs have experience using them. Apart from creating awareness
and sharing good practices and lessons learned, subsequent research could investigate
the use of emerging technologies in the various sectors.
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Technological developments and lifelong learning. The framework outlined here
implies some consequences for the skills enhancement strategies. It should be
considered that the future labour market will demand that people take control of their
development and employability more than ever before. Technological developments
such as robotisation and digitalisation have a fundamental impact on how work is
carried out. The requirements imposed on workers are changing. Jobs are disappearing
and new functions are created at the same time. The gap between those who can keep
up and those who are lagging behind in the labour market is growing. In order to be
successful now and in the future, it is important that employers and workers constantly
anticipate and adapt to change. In the current crises, this is even more the case than
ever. A lifetime of development (LLO) maintains knowledge and skills and keeps
workers permanently employed. For employers, the employability of human capital is
essential for their competitiveness, innovation and productivity, which increases the
competitiveness of nations internationally. For example, in Dutch government policy,
more and more emphasis is placed on people’s own responsibility to be and remain
sustainable. It is up to them to take control over their own direction. However, it is not
yet self-evident how one should take responsibility for sustainable employability. For
employees with support needs, dictating their own direction is a challenge while
‘staying in place’ is especially important to them. WISEs are companies that create both
employment and education in the workplace. They aim to maintain the supply of
employees as well as their level of the professional competence, now and in the future.
Encouraging self-regulation of sustainable employability is an important task in this
respect. But how do you stimulate your own direction? Encouraging self-regulation on
development and employability is a complex subject that depends on many factors.
What does and does not work? How do you go from a work company to a learning
company? How do you offer learning in an integral and methodical way and how do
you create good preconditions? How do you ensure that employees who need support
have control over their development processes? The problem is not that there is
insufficient knowledge, but that too little knowledge is shared and pooled.
Additional remarks about technology and digitalisation. WISEs are not technology
companies and rapid growth using the leverage of technology is usually not their goal;
there is not any case in which WISEs register patents or other forms of intellectual
property. However, many WISEs are aware that the adoption of technologies and
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pursuit of growth can lead to greater efficiency and effectiveness, and the larger size
equates to greater impact and the employment of a larger group of WSNs.
The limits of WISEs are probably due to several reasons:
• WISEs have an entrepreneurial culture oriented towards slow but constant growth
rather than rapid and, inevitably, more risky growth. They have a culture that sees
possible bankruptcy as very serious because it would force people to be laid off,
while high-tech entrepreneurs have a higher tolerance for failure.
• WISEs report 1) the lack of resources (e.g., budget, skills, people, etc.) to invest in
this direction and 2) the lack of significant (economies of) scale.
• There seems to be significant room for improvement where WISEs invest in open
collaborations with other actors (companies but also research centres and
universities), which would also serve to include skills not currently available in
WISEs. Relations between WISEs and institutions of research and technological
development (first of all universities and specifically engineering faculties) are not
completely absent, but in most national contexts they are episodic and linked to
the excellence of the WISEs rather than to the general nature of the subjects.
• There is a low involvement of technological and scientific profiles in WISEs’
management. People with such profiles could on the one hand support the
integration and development of new technologies, and on the other hand
profitably relate to people of similar profiles in other organisations, in particular
in technologically advanced companies, research centres and universities. The
study of the personas is indicative of the enablers having a humanistic, social or
human sciences training and in a few cases economic or managerial training, but
the cases of technical enablers (engineers, computer scientists or even people
with lower educational levels but a technical view of production plants) are very
rare.
• Finally, it is important to underline that significant improvements in adopted and
developed technologies can be facilitated by public interventions. It is no
coincidence, in fact, that the largest and most developed WISEs are in the
countries where attention to these subjects has been and is highest.
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These points can intersect different types of WISEs; there are then some considerations
on each type of WISE, which shows, with respect to technologies and digitalisation,
strengths and possible criticism.
Productive WISEs: The strength of this type of WISE lies in the entrepreneurial culture
and thus in the focus on any element that can make the enterprise more competitive.
Many of these WISEs in fact already integrate technological and digital elements in a
significant way and are well prepared to introduce elements of innovation in their
production cycle. In general, even with the limitations that may characterise them, even
WSNs are sometimes urged to learn new approaches that integrate technological
elements. The point of weakness, at least in those countries where no specific support
exists (and with the exception of some excellent WISEs), is that the strong productive
characterisation makes these WISEs in general little inclined to organise structured
actions to support WSNs. In some cases, the ‘supporter’ is actually a work colleague
who works full-time in production, without dedicated time to take care of the work
integration process; and the WSN does not carry out actions other than work in the
WISE. In this context, the supportive actions that the WISE offers are often entrusted to
the informal instinct of workmates; this organisational set-up, centred on the
immediate needs of production, appears to be little oriented towards supporting
programmes of skills strengthening. The situation is very different in countries (e.g.,
Spain, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands) where Productive WISEs have adequate
support; in these cases, we have an ideal combination of 1) an entrepreneurial
mentality, attentive to technological development, 2) investment aptitude and thus
availability of technologically advanced tools and 3) competence-building initiatives
structured and permanently embedded in the business organisation.
Social WISEs: These WISEs are very attentive to people’s growth and therefore can
easily involve themselves in a project concerning competence-building; the idea of
carrying out training related to the technological or digital sphere addressed to WSNs
may be carefully considered by these WISEs. On the other hand, many of these WISEs
may have a limited entrepreneurial orientation and thus may not be very keen on
developing their daily productive work in a technological sense and digitising or may
consider that such advanced technologies are discriminatory for the employed persons
who are not able to use them. The risk is therefore that the initiatives proposed by B-
WISE result in training activities but not in organisational changes and therefore have a
limited impact on the company’s daily production work.
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Training WISEs: These WISEs undoubtedly present some significant strengths, since
competence-building actions are a founding aspect of these WISEs. Even when they are
limited in size, they are careful to organise their production activities with
technologically appropriate tools, sometimes used jointly with a parent organisation
operating in the educational field. These WISEs are usually culturally attentive to the
technological innovations that they have to take into account in their training
programmes and they have a management that looks at these phenomena with
interest. On the other hand, it should not be forgotten that – in countries with limited
support for WISEs – these enterprises are limited in size and not very widespread in
most of the countries considered; often the WISE offer a specific activity (e.g., a
restaurant where people from cookery courses are employed) and therefore the actual
entrepreneurial translation of the changes advocated by the project may not be
significant in practice.
5.2 Guidelines for WP3 (and policies)

WP1 and WP2 together leave a significant legacy for WP3 in terms of knowledge of
WISEs and consequent possible hints for the work that will follow. They also deliver
numerous elements that must be carefully considered to better frame the paths of
skills enhancement.
As a preliminary point, it should be noted that the issue of WISEs’ technological

enhancement includes different items (p. 240 ff.): from technologies such as soft skills
for WSNs to technologies for production, from communication technologies to assistive
technologies and others. In some of these areas, WISEs appear to have developed
stronger general attitudes than comparable companies; in this case, we can analyse
how to adequately promote this. In other cases, there is a negative gap to the
detriment of social enterprises and therefore it is a question of identifying the actions
to strengthen the skills useful to bridging it. It is worth highlighting some cross-cutting
issues here.
243
5.2.1 Strengthening skills: enablers and supporters
A first element concerns the Personas who work in WISEs. A large portion of the
management of WISE does not express significant distrust about digitalisation and
indeed seems aware of the importance of developing their organisations in the
direction of greater investment in technology. There is certainly some caution about
possible exclusionary effects of technologies against WSNs, but this does not seem to
be one of the factors that discourages greater investment in technologies; but there are
other aspects that deserve some attention.
Usually, enablers and supporters have a high level of education, are culturally vibrant
and have meaningful relationship networks, but, in most cases, they have
characteristics that can be problematic with respect to the objectives of a greater
diffusion of technologies in WISEs.
The first characteristic, which has already been mentioned, concerns their
backgrounds, which are usually humanistic, pedagogical, educational or related to
humanities and social sciences. This feature is typical of a significant proportion of
enablers and supporters. On the other hand, there are few people with technical and
scientific training. This means that cultural awareness about the relevance of
technology (and, usually, good confidence in the personal use of office and
communication technologies) is not accompanied by a mentality inclined to naturally
see the possibility of productive and entrepreneurial application of technological
innovations and even less to think about entrepreneurial developments in smart areas.
Paradoxically, it is not certain that training these enablers about technologies is the
most efficient strategy compared to bringing young engineers, computer scientists and
technicians closer to WISEs and training them with respect to the mission of WISEs. To
achieve more intense use of digital technologies in order to facilitate the development
of WISEs, it would certainly be useful to strengthen relationship with research centres
and with scientific university faculties (e.g., engineering and computer science) and with
the people (teachers and students) who work there.
Alongside the question of previous training, the personal aspect must be considered,
especially in contexts where WISEs have inferior support from policies. In this situation,
the remuneration of the management groups of WISEs is often disproportionately low
compared to the commitment and responsibilities (and sometimes the managers are
244
volunteers or pensioners) and this inevitably self-selects enablers who identify
themselves very strongly with the mission of the WISE and whose motivations are
strongly linked to religious or secular values of solidarity. For reasons that cannot be
discussed in-depth here, it may be more difficult in such organisations to reproduce the
same adherence to ideals in new generations of executives, with the consequence that
often the enablers remain the founding group that gave birth to WISE many years ago.
It is therefore easy to find management groups with people approaching the end of
their working careers and belonging to a generation that grew up in a non-digital
universe. These two elements discourage investment in digitalisation: these enablers,
generally already overwhelmed by multiple daily tasks related to the management of
the WISE and with the prospect of a limited number of years of work, are not given to
making a substantial investment in training that leads them to review established
aspects of their way of operating and their personality.
5.2.2 Skills enhancement in WISEs
Case studies have shown that WISEs implement actions to strengthen the skills of
WSNs. At the same time, such actions in many cases are placed in a framework that
makes them little noticeable and little recognisable. Skills enhancement:
• takes place mainly ‘on the job’ and not in the classroom and does not take place
at defined times;
• does not give rise, in most cases, to the recognition of qualifications or training
credits;
• is not carried out by professional trainers, but by supporters who, moreover, at
least in some cases, operate as ‘work colleagues’ and therefore in the absence of
a clear mandate regarding the strengthening of skills;
• often, does not concern aspects that can be immediately codified in the context
of training profiles but concerns soft skills;
• does not only take place in the form of a specific training experience to be carried
out at a given time (such as a training course) but tends to accompany the entire
work integration process.
245
Although there are some cases in which one or more of these claims are disproved, the
central theme is that in the majority of WISEs this happens and that this approach ‘goes
under the radar’ that generally identifies skill enhancement actions.
As a result, it is necessary to work on two different and complementary fronts. On the

one hand, it is useful to verify to what extent it is appropriate that the WISEs also
include traditional actions to enhance skills in their operations such as classroom
activities, specific figures in charge of training, specific skills related to the production
sector in which they operate, etc. On the other hand, it is necessary to outline models
of skills enhancement that do not distort WISEs and that do not undermine their
strengths. For example, it is one thing to support the opportunity that a limited number
of hours per week are specifically dedicated to skills enhancement, but it is another
thing to ignore the original added value offered by a learning model that arises from
everyday work and the proximity of supporters. WISEs should not be transformed into
what they are not but must be helped to develop and to enhance their own model of
intervention.
5.2.3 Skills enhancement and policies
In assessing the possible (realistic) impact of action to foster capacity-building in a

WISE, account should be taken of the emphasis on the role of support policies in
strengthening a country’s WISE system (p. 229 ff.). In synthetic terms and in the
awareness of the problematic nature of the statement, it is possible to affirm that an
action to strengthen skills is all the more effective the less a WISE is in a situation of
‘organisational distress’; and the organisational distress is instead directly proportional
to the lack of policies, which forces the WISE to bear, without adequate support, an
unrealistic complexity of functions.
This does not mean avoiding actions to improve skills in national contexts in which
WISEs are poorly supported or in individual WISEs that seem to be in a condition of
greater organisational distress; but it means that 1) the expectations of the impact of
these actions must be adapted to the ability of each organisational context to
incorporate them and that 2) probably, actions to strengthen skills must be adapted to
different situations. It would be illusory to think that an action can transform a weak,
disorganised WISE into a technological start-up.
246
Probably, in some contexts, the most reasonable goal is a step forward in office
automation, moving from paper-based office management to more advanced systems.
In other cases, a WISE can take up or strengthen actions that consider technology as a
soft skill by which to empower WSNs, for example where technologies are necessary to
carry out ordinary actions of daily life (for example in national systems where the
relationship with the public administration increasingly takes place in a digital way).
In some cases, we will find WISEs capable of implementing technological solutions in

their production cycle that are already practised, but that are not adopted by all,
especially medium-small companies: orders in the WISE managing restaurants (from
the example already proposed), computerised management of the warehouse in the
WISEs that manage shops, the use of barcodes to trace the different phases of a
laundry cycle, etc.
In other cases, there may instead be WISEs that can credibly apply to develop original
and patentable solutions in the field of assistive technologies or that have a cutting-
edge production structure that can take a further step forward thanks to digital
solutions.
What is certain is that the objective of skills improvement must be adapted to the
different situations that the case studies have highlighted.
In all cases, however, we must always bear in mind that skills enhancement, in the
sense of training, is only one piece in a broader programme that starts from the
understanding of the organisational situation of the WISE and from its development
strategies, which takes into account ‘the human element’ both on the part of WSNs and
of enablers and supporters, and, above all, that places the training within the
framework of a project of organisational evolution designed together with the WISE
and strengthened with adequate accompanying actions.
This, of course, is without considering certain issues of greater importance in general

political terms, but which goes beyond the theme of B-WISE. From what emerged, it is
possible to affirm that thinking about the development of WISEs without a framework
247
of adequate support policies is illusory and not very effective. Therefore, a political
action that brings the WISEs out of a ‘starvation circle’ is a priority.3
Figure 6 – WISEs’ starvation circle
policies do not
support work
integration
WISEs are driven to

Reduced perception
operate more and
by policymakers of
more aggressively
the need to support
by leveraging
WISEs
downward prices
WISEs reduce the

Deterioration of salaries of operators
WISEs' social and functions
quality related to the quality
of work integration
The WISEs’ starvation circle appears evident in some national contexts: in the face of
policies that withdraw support for work integration, WISEs are driven to operate more
and more aggressively by leveraging reduced prices; to do this, they reduce the salaries
of operators and the functions related to the quality of the work integration, which
causes the slow deterioration of its social quality and therefore engenders a reduced
perception by the policymakers of the need to support the WISEs and so on. In this
3With this expression, Carola Carazzone, president of DAFNE (European Network of Foundations),
highlights the risks for social enterprises, squeezed between insufficient funding and a mentality inclined
to sacrifice the functions (training, research, networking, etc.) that ensure quality to the enterprises.
248
context, actions taken to improve skills risk being ineffective. However, this is a broader
discussion that goes beyond the limits of this project.
However, what needs to be emphasised here is that 1) competence-building is not

limited to people-directed activities and 2) people-directed activities do not end with
traditional classroom training. On the contrary, a competence-building programme
requires a set of actions:
1. on the policy side, to ensure that WISEs do not operate under conditions of excessive
stress, which prevents them from devoting due attention to competence building;
2. on the organisational side, by promoting a renewal of the managerial class
(ensuring, among other things, a greater presence of people with a technical
background) and investment in strengthening networks between WISEs and with
universities and research centres;
3. on the people side, on the one hand by promoting structured training, on the other
hand by fully enhancing the vocation of WISEs to act on soft skills and to offer WSNs
growth paths based on informality and on-the-job skills strengthening.
Figure 7 – Skills enhancement
249
6 Annex A: Case
studies: summary
table
250
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
Interview of goods Reserved
Country Scenario Sector Workers WSNs remuneratio Type Turnover % care and
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Women with
Unstructured
psychical
2E , relying on
Sewing, textile cleaning Low difficulties,
Austria 1 3S PW 52 44 1,600,000 600,000 37.5% the
and ironing work clothes remuneration many with
4W availability of
immigrant
supporters
backgrounds
Long-term
unemployed.
Addiction
Language
Different background
Office work, storage, skills and
4E remuneration and different
textile sorting, fixing training
Austria 2 4S PTW 104.4 69.4 due to social 3,000,000 1,500,000 50%
electronic devices, sales, material do
4W funding problems
online shop not match
agency (debts or
100%
former
imprisonmen
t)
Metalworking,
woodworking,
packaging/co-packaging, Persons with
assembling/disassembli disabilities
ng, paint shop, (different
2E printing/dispatching, forms
Austria 3 3S PSW series production, 730 579 ranging from 12,200,000 9,516,000 78%
6W completion, quality physical to
control, office services, psychological
kitchen, laundry, ), long-term
operation of waste unemployed
materials collection
centre
251
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
The main
Long-term focus is
unemployed training
persons. (concentratio
1E Production, textile, wood
Persons with n training,
Austria 4 5S STW workshop, office 61 36 2,200,000 1,600,000 72.7%
mental discussion
3W activities
illness, with staff) for
persons with a period of
addictions 12–15
months
Individual
1st year €150
and adjusted
pm
1E Young adults training is
Digitising analogue 2nd year (Quite
Austria 5 3S TW 35 24 with physical possible due
media €200 pm low?)
4W disabilities to enough
3rd year €250
personal
pm
resources
Seven weeks
of
application
Rework, reuse and
Long-term training and
repair of washing
unemployed, other
1E machines, dishwashers
severe content that
Austria 6 3S TW and electronic cookers. 24 18 1,000,000 280,000 28%
psychic supports
4W Computer disassembly,
disabilities, social,
delivery, office and sales
addiction mental and
services
vocational
stabilisation
of people
252
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Young people Vocational

with every training, IT
type of training,
3E
Metal, wood, kitchen, disadvantage training on
Austria 7 3S STW 44 18 240€ monthly 720,000 3 0.42%
creative sector (the main polite
5W
disadvantage behaviour
s are social- and correct
emotional) interactions
Long-term
3E
Mailing, printing and unemployed
Austria 8 3S PSW 39 14 671,000 221,000 33%
construction with
4W
addictions
Unemployed
young people
2E Work
Repair and processing of with health
Austria 9 2S PTW 40 4,299,800 2,700,000 60.93% training,
used bicycles issues
4W social care
(addiction,
depression)
Training in
1E Long-term sales,
Second-hand/antiques
Austria 10 3S PTW 171 115 unemployed 7,000,000 4,299,800 60% logistics,
shops
2W and WSNs upcycling,
bike repair
253
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Derives
its
resources
People with
Paid regularly exclusivel
1E severe
Food and cleaning according to 700,000– y from
Greece 1 1S PW 59 54 mental
sector the national 900,000 the sale
4W health
legislation of
disorders
services
and
goods
Derives
its
People with
Cleaning, catering – resources
mental
waitering, oil painting, Paid regularly exclusivel
1E health
green care, carpentry, according to y from
Greece 2 2S PW 147 82 disorders 1,400,000
tailoring; canteens, the national the sale
4W and
candle factory, farm and legislation of
psychosocial
winery services
problems
and
goods
Derives
its
resources
exclusivel Continuous
1E People facing
y from training of
Greece 3 2S PW Cleaning service psychosocial
the sale the
2W difficulties
of employees
services
and
goods
254
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Full salary People with

higher than disabilities
1E Textile waste
the average and
Croatia 1 1S PW management and 45 38 1,064,889 90%
salary in members of
3W production
textile marginalised
production groups
Students
People with have the
Vocational school: disabilities opportunity
2E
personal services, fine and people for training
Croatia 2 1S TW 30 22 400,000
arts and design, forestry, who work in and being
2W
textiles, haberdashery protective employed
positions after
graduation
Providing services in the

community
1E (psychosocial support, People with
Croatia 3 2S SW help at home, economic 17 17 disabilities 200,000 Yes
3W consulting, financial and WSNs
management), organic
cultivation
Training in
Half of the People with culinary arts,
2E
PTW minimum both physical foreign
Bulgaria 1 4S Bistro 30? 15 150,000
TW salary (part- and mental language
6W
time) disorders lessons, soft
skills
255
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Person with
WSNs
disabilities
constantly
2E and reduced
PW Children’s educational 50,000– improve
Bulgaria 2 3S 45 27 working
SW games: handicraft items 100,000 their skills in
5W capacity;
a safe
long-term
environment
unemployed
The main
Long-term
focus is on
unemployed,
the workers’
1E people with
PTW Manufacture of 50,000– training and
Bulgaria 3 4S 18 permanent
TW chocolate products 80,000 improving
4W disabilities,
their
unemployed
professional
young people
qualities
256
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
342
employees
attended a
total of 8,116
hours of
formal
1E Woodworking,
16,228,38 training,
Belgium 1 3S metalworking, assembly 930 729 28,574,607 57%
5 184
4W and services
employees
attended a
total of 963
hours of
informal
training
128
employees
attended a
total 3,843
Textiles, e-commerce, hours of
assembly, recycling, formal
2E
packaging, in-company training,
Belgium 2 3S 280 230 7,169,363 3,142,514 44%
services, finishing of 13
4W
printed material and employees
woodworking attended a
total of 192
hours of
informal
training
257
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
39
employees
attended a
total of 3,259
hours of
formal
1E Logistics, packaging,
training,
Belgium 3 2S mailing, digital services 350 235 11,340,831 6,473,751 57%
21
4W and green maintenance
employees
attended a
total of 198
hours of
informal
training
28
employees
1E Sewing workshop, green
attended a
Belgium 4 2S PW maintenance, ironing 95 77 2,515,676 1,271,289 50.5%
total of 227
3W service, local shop, bar
hours of
training
258
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Reuse centres, catering

A total of
services, green
1E 5,504 hours
maintenance, cleaning
Belgium 5 2S 1,029 900 58.6% of training
services, ironing
4W was provided
services, energy scans,
to employees
creative workshops
Salary similar Persons with

to that of different
2E
other disabilities,
Spain 1 3S Industrial laundry 305 30–50 55%
workers in predominantl
4W
mainstream y cerebral
enterprises palsy
Salary similar
to that of
3E Persons with
Restaurants, catering, other
Spain 2 3S 120 100 psychosocial 40%
food workers
4W disabilities
mainstream
enterprises
259
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Persons with
high support
needs
(psychosocial
2E
and 220,000,00
Spain 3 3S Packaging 5,800 4,872 70%–75%
intellectual 0
4W
disabilities,
physical and
sensory
disability)
WSNs
(women from
single-parent
families or
victims of
Salaries are
gender
2E comparable
violence,
Spain 4 3S Cleaning services 300 26–50% to those in 5,000,000 87%
migrants or
5W mainstream
refugees,
enterprises
long-term
unemployed
or
unemployed
aged over 45)
Persons with
Salaries are
intellectual
lower than
2E disabilities
Restaurants, catering, those of
Spain 5 3S 20 3 and young 1,000,000 50%
food workers in
4W adults
the same
formerly in
sector
foster care
260
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Salaries are
similar to
those of
Persons with
3E other
More physical or
Spain 6 3S Cleaning services 900 workers in
than 80% organic
4W the same
disabilities
sector in
mainstream
companies
Salaries
similar to
those of
Persons with
2E other
different More than
Spain 7 3S Cleaning services 73 73% workers in 7,500,000
kinds of 75%
4W mainstream
disabilities
enterprises in
the same
activity sector
Rehabilitatio
n, training
1 Mentor and
People with
Slovenia 1E Graphic design 7 5 165,000 employment
disabilities
5W of people
with
disabilities
261
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Repurposing and
Slovenia 1E activities necessary for
6 5 WSNs 200,000
2 5W repurposing objects
(recycling plastic)
1E
Washing and ironing Vulnerable
Slovenia 3 1S 10 8 200,000
services groups
8W
Landscaping and
maintenance of green
areas, arranging
Like digital
cemeteries, individual
training, it
Slovenia 4 maintenance work and 17 12 570,000
can be more
cleaning facilities,
economic
additional
subcontracting work for
companies
People with
reduced
1E working
Slovenia 5 Accessible tourism 6 5 238,130
5W capacity and
mental
disorders
Wide range
1E Environmental of workers
Slovenia 6 1S management, cleaning 13 11 with wide 300,000
11W of businesses, sports range of
disabilities
262
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Sewing, interior
1E
decoration, product
Slovenia 7 1S 10 8 245,000
assembly and restoring
8W
furniture
100% (8%
Drug addicts,
2E Selective waste More than 6,500,000 minor cost
convicts, High
Italy 1 4S PW collection, 150 45 contracts (high 6,500,000 for minor
people with relevance
3W cemetery management (ristorno) profits) WSNs
disabilities
taxation)
100% (8%
‘On-call’ work. minor
Normal costs for Continuity
SW (WISE
8 (80 in hourly wage, minor with the
2E within a People with
Catering and food entire but with few WSNs No reserved work of the
Italy 2 2S welfare 5 mental 100,000 100,000
service in events sector organisation working taxation. contracts welfare
3W organisatio deficiencies
) hours => very Cooperatio parent
n)
low monthly n with organisation
wage welfare
sector)
263
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
100% (8%
‘On-call’ work.
minor
Normal
costs for
TW (born hourly wage, Former
minor
3E from a but with few pupils with No reserved
Italy 3 Restaurant 8 3 100,000 100,000 WSNs
3W professiona working mental contracts
taxation).
l school) hours => very deficiencies
Significant
low monthly
volunteer
wage
work
1,500,000
100% (8%
(WISE
Assembly and minor
3E Normal attempting
packaging, filmmaking People with costs for No reserved
Italy 4 1S PW 38 19 contractual to emerge 1,500,000
and many other disabilities minor contracts
4W wage from a
activities WSNs
period of
taxation)
crisis)
13
(the other
51
66% (flows
workers
of funds
are not
3E Agriculture, tourism, Normal Different from
recognise No reserved
Italy 5 4S PW recycling, craft activities, 51 contractual categories of 1,164,000 768,000 Church
d WSNs. contracts
3W cleaning wages WSNs bodies and
They
other
operate
sources)
in the
WISE as
trainees)
264
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
2,950,000
Gardening, cemetery
in only the
management, selective 100% (8%
WISE’s
waste collection. Drug addicts, minor
2E Normal activity
This WISE merged with a convicts, few costs for No reserved
Italy 6 2S PW 98 43 contractual (8,630,000 2,950,000
social enterprise people with minor contracts
3W wages overall,
operating in the welfare disabilities WSNs
including
field, today it is in its taxation)
welfare
sector
activities)
Woman in No reserved
1E Normal
difficulties contracts, all
Latvia 1 1S PW textiles 8 4 contractual 100%
and with private
3W wages
disabilities customers
Main goal is
skill
enhancemen
1E
All workers People with No reserved t and to let
Latvia 2 1S TW Cooking industry 6 4 100%
are paid disabilities contracts workers
4W
move to
other
workplaces
1E Call centre for private

All workers People with No reserved
Latvia 3 1S PW companies. Social 29 16 200,000 200,000 100%
are paid disabilities contracts
3W telephony
265
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Main goal is
skill
enhancemen
Sells goods created in a t and to let
People with
1E workshop that works as workers
All workers disabilities No reserved
Latvia 4 1S SW-TW a social service, 7 5 100% move to
are paid and other contracts
3W managed by a linked other
WSNs
organisation workplaces.
It is linked to
a welfare
organisation
The aim is to
support,
Sells paper and
1E People with train and
packaging, produced in All workers
Latvia 5 1S S-TW 6 4 mental 100% integrate
cooperation with social are paid
2W disabilities groups at
care services
risk of social
exclusion
Salaries are
similar to
those of
other Individual
1E
Netherland Recycling, urban mining, workers in No reserved support,
3S PW 150 2,100,000
s1 upcycling the same contracts training and
3W
sector in coaching
mainstream
companies
Salaries are
Many types
similar to
3E of WSNs. Strong
Netherland PW those of No reserved
2S 866 729 WISE 31,000,000 commitment
s2 (ex PSW) other contracts
4W transition- to training
workers in
oriented
the same
266
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
sector in
mainstream
companies
Salaries are
similar to
those of
People with
Network of 30 second- other
1E disabilities, Strong
Netherland hand shops. Aim to grow workers in No reserved
2S PW 1,500 1,000 refugees, commitment
s3 to 50 shops in a few the same contracts
3W convicts, to training
years sector in
young people
mainstream
companies
Salaries are
similar to
those of
other
1E
Netherland workers in
3S PW Cleaning services 600 228 12,000,000 1%
s4 the same
3W
sector in
mainstream
companies
267
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Salaries are
similar to People with
those of disabilities,
other refugees,
2E
Netherland Gardening, cleaning workers in convicts,
4S PTW 600 3,000 43,500,000
s5 services the same young
2D
sector in people. WISE
mainstream transition-
companies oriented
Salaries are
similar to
those of
other
1E Young people Strong
Netherland Cleaning services workers in
3S PW 14 7 and others 1,000,000 commitment
s6 (windows) the same
4W WSN types to training
sector in
mainstream
companies
Salaries are
similar to
those of
other People with
2E
Netherland workers in psychiatric or
1S PW Recycling, reuse, shops 131 44 1,200,000
s7 the same psychosocial
3W
sector in problems
mainstream
companies
268
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
WISE
employs
persons with
intellectual
2E and
PW Recycling and circular No reserved
Romania 1 3S 13 4 psychosocial 30,000
SW economy industry contracts
2W disabilities.
WISE tries to
adopt
transition
model
People with
disabilities,
single
Housing
mothers,
2E 80% solution for
PW Fast food, textile sewing victims of
Romania 2 5S 35 12 130,000 104,000 (20% WSNs.
SW workshop domestic
4W donations) Professional
violence and
training
victims of
human
trafficking
Young people
with a harsh
family
background,
248,153
people with
2E Wage (323,294 Housing
disabilities.
Romania 3 3S TSW Second-hand shops 31 20 ‘administrate including solution for
WSNs are
4W d’ by WISE recruitmen WSNs
hosted by
t activities)
WISE. WISE to
adopt a
transition
model
269
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Vulnerable
people from
social
Reuse of waste from services and
Romania 4 PW electrical and electronic 44 31 from prisons. 900,000 837,000 93%
equipment. Social farm WISE to
adopt a
transition
model
Young people
50%
leaving the
Resources WISE is
2E Bakery. WISE was protection
integrated No reserved committed to
Romania 5 3S TW created by a welfare 9 4 system. WISE 85,000 42,500
by parent contracts training
2W organisation to adopt a
organisatio WSNs
transition
n
model
Young people WISE

50%
from integrates
Accommodation services Resources
2E disadvantage beneficiaries
in a hostel. WISE was integrated
Romania 6 1S SW 6 3 d 30,000 15,000 from a
created by a welfare by parent
3W backgrounds parent
organisation organisatio
from parent welfare
n
organisation organisation
Archiving, tailoring,
Young people
typography,
from
manufacturing products,
2E vulnerable
roasting, recruitment
Romania 7 3S PW 33 20 groups. WISE 2,514,262
and placement of people
5W to adopt a
with
transition
disabilities/occupational
model
safety services
270
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
STW
1E PW
Kindergarten – nursery
Romania 8 2S (Borderline. 7 4 43,293
school
3W It may not
be a WISE)
PW
(Difficult to
1E
put in a
Romania 9 1S Catering
model: it is
3W
in start-up
phase)
54.5%
(every year
No formal
5 (and 2 the
Catering and gardening. €490 pm, reserved
trainees and cooperativ
1E Welfare activities correspondin contracts, but
another 9 People with e obtains
Poland 1 1S SW (note: members are 3 g to 393,000 214,000 solid relation
collaborator disabilities funds from
1W from local public minimum with local
s in welfare the
administrations) wage administratio
activities) National
ns
Training
Fund)
5 (and Regular wage,

Catering (note: founded another 5 higher than
Poland 2 5 Various types 150,000
by local administrations) collaborator minimum
s) wage
271
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
Structured
1E training
Catering, gardening and €300 pm People with
Poland 3 1S TW 30 10 310,000 34,000 11% activities.
cleaning part-time disabilities
5W Spontaneous
care work
Social
support
Long-term
1E (professional
Rework of electronic Minimum unemployed,
France 1 2S PW 82 58 3,800,000 2,800,000 74% interviews,
devices, recycling wage NEETs,
2 WSNs training, help
immigrants
for social
issues)
Social
support
Long-term
1E Just above (professional
Temporary work unemployed, Not
France 2 2S PW 30 25 minimum 1,250,000 interviews,
company NEETs, specified
2 WSNs wage training, help
immigrants
for social
issues)
Social
support
Long-term
Just above (professional
1E Temporary work unemployed, Not
France 3 PW 76 71 minimum 2,119,000 interviews,
1S company NEETs, specified
wage training, help
immigrants
for social
issues)
Social
Long-term
1E support
Food sector (catering Minimum unemployed, Not
France 4 2S PW 30 17 1,200,000 (professional
and restaurant) wage women, specified
2 WSNs interviews,
immigrants
training, help
272
Turnover
from sale
WSN About social
s and contracts
n training
services
sales
for social
issues)
Social
support
Long-term
1E (professional
Circular economy, Minimum unemployed, Not
France 5 2S PW 200 120 8,000,000 interviews,
cleaning wage immigrants, specified
NEETs
for social
issues)
Social
support
Long-term
1E (professional
Circular economy (waste Minimum unemployed, Not
France 6 2S PW 445 250 19,000,000 interviews,
management) wage immigrants, specified
NEETs
for social
issues)
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7 Annex B: Report
on the adoption
and use of
technologies by
WISEs*
* Authors: Federica D’Alessandro, Paolo Landoni, Gianfranco Marocchi
Thanks to Lieven Bossuyt (Lichtwerk) and Lisa Messely (Groep Gidts) who wrote the paragraphs about the results of WP1.
274
7.1 Introduction
Failure to integrate all potentially productive workers in the labour market can create
ethical, civic and economic problems. Work is crucial to self-realisation and meaning,
and non-productive citizens can place burdens on other people and the entire society
(Yeo and Moore, 2003).
Unfortunately, labour market constraints, information imperfections and information

asymmetries sharply reduce employment opportunities for some workers (Borzaga
and Defourny, 2001). This is especially the case for WSNs and many policies have been
introduced to integrate them, e.g., regulatory policies oblige all or some enterprises to
hire a minimum percentage of WSNs; compensation policies compensate enterprises
for the lower productivity and/or the higher costs of the WSNs employed; and support
policies provide dedicated tutors, coaches, trainers or supporters to facilitate the
selection and training of enterprises integrating WSNs.
Labour market failures, policy failures and innovative policies have led to new
alternative initiatives (Petrella and Richez-Battesti, 2016) that have been named WISEs.
A WISE can be defined as an institutional mechanism of supported employment that
favours workers discriminated against by conventional enterprises and provides them
with appropriate on-the-job training (Borzaga and Loss, 2006).
In this research project funded by the European Commission, 73 case studies of a

variety of WISEs have been conducted to analyse the development of the WISEs in
Europe (see Table 1).
Table 11 – Characteristics of the cases analysed
Country Number of Average number of Average

Country
# cases employees turnover (€)
1 Austria 10 140 3,454,556
2 Belgium 5 537 12,400,119
3 Bulgaria 3 31 96,667
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4 Croatia 3 31 554,963
5 France 4 209 8,700,000
6 Greece 3 103 1,100,000
7 Italy 6 59 2,052,333
8 Latvia 5 11 200,000
The
9 8 633 15,200,000
Netherlands
10 Poland 3 19 223,135
11 Romania 9 22 497,589
12 Slovenia 7 10 274,019
13 Spain 7 1,074 58,375,000
Note: the averages in each country are calculated using the data available (some cases did not
provide all data)
The cases show a high heterogeneity among the analysed countries. Indeed, even if the
average turnovers and the average number of employees in each country are not
indicative of the characteristics of WISEs in that country, it can be noted that the
numbers vary significantly.
The research has shown that some of these organisations have been successful and
have grown in recent decades, especially in countries with effective supporting policies.
In other countries, few WISEs have been created and the existing ones have remained
very small.
Indeed, as highlighted in the case studies and reported in the WP1 report of this
project, the WISE sector in Europe is very heterogeneous.
The heterogeneity in terms of sectors, size of the organisations and policies in different
countries make it difficult to analyse the causes behind the lack of growth of many
276
WISEs. However, we can hypothesise a gap in the adoption and use of scaling
technologies.
For this reason, we have analysed the case studies developed during the B-WISE project
in 2022 to highlight common issues and possible suggestions for the WISE sector, for
providers of educational and training activities, and for policymakers.
The main information and data regarding the cases is provided in a table in the main
report. These cases have been developed by interviewing enablers, supporters and
WSNs.
Given the above-mentioned heterogeneity, it is not possible to evaluate the overall

technological development of the WISE sector. However, it is possible to shed some
light on the adoption and use of specific technologies.
Table 2 at the bottom of this report and the following paragraphs detail the adoption
and use of different technologies and possible developments.
In particular, thanks to the case studies in the different countries, a series of

technologies and main application areas have been identified and each WISE has been
analysed in relation to them. The technologies and areas of application identified are:
1) Internal communication
2) External communication
3) Training
4) Administration and accounting
5) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
6) Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
7) File and data storage
8) Technologies for products/services and production processes
9) E-commerce
10) Assistive technologies
11) Emerging technologies (artificial intelligence/machine learning/big data)
In addition to the case studies, the data on technology and digitalisation collected
through both the face-to-face and online surveys from WP1 is also used to compare the
findings from the 73 case studies. The WP1 surveys carried out between October and
277
December 2021 not only included 403 face-to-face interviews with three target groups
(enablers, supporters, WSNs), they also consisted of an online questionnaire with a
subset of questions of the face-to-face interviews, completed by 175 enablers (e.g.,
CEOs, CHROs, CFOs, staff managers, area coordinators, project managers and ICT
specialists).
Below, a short section is devoted to each one of the above-mentioned technologies and
areas of application. These sections present and explain the technology and then focus
on the results from the case studies, first as a whole and then concerning the different
sectors. Next, the relevant insights from the WP1 surveys are listed. Finally, each
section is completed by a discussion on possible improvement proposals for WISEs.
7.2 Results
7.2.1 Internal communication technologies
What they are: these are digital technologies to facilitate communication between
workers, such as the use of WhatsApp groups or other messaging applications or
internal newsletters. They represent basic-level digital functions, which generally do not
require specific skills or dedicated training and which in most cases require skills that
are already widespread among workers, including WSNs. In addition to instant
messaging, there are online communication applications, such as Zoom and Microsoft
Teams, which allow workers to meet virtually and work remotely. They too do not
require special digital skills and are therefore easy to use.
What the cases say: the WISEs show widespread aptitude for the use of these
technologies. Most of them declared that they use e-mails and instant messaging apps,
in particular WhatsApp and Viber, to disseminate service and organisational notices
and communications inside the company. These tools require basic skills and are easy
to use even for WSNs, who usually also use them in daily life. Furthermore, they allow
continuous and immediate interactions between employees. These interactions help to
further develop an inclusive corporate culture, a culture that values employee
involvement and already characterises the WISEs. Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic
represented a significant push in this direction: many companies were forced to resort
278
to teleworking to continue their business. Several WISEs have claimed they keep using
Microsoft Teams or Zoom for employee meetings.
From the point of view of WSNs, it is possible to observe different attitudes towards
these technologies. Some people show an aversion to them because they are afraid of
using the internet. Workers from the Greek WISE explain that they are wary of
technology and in particular of the dangers of communicating via the internet. They
confess a fear of ‘damaging’ something on the computer or smartphone and of being
victims of online fraud. Some believe that the use of smartphones and PCs is
‘dangerous, and harmful to health’. Workers of the WISE Netherlands 3 wonder about
the long-term consequences of digitalisation in society: ‘what about radiation, control
of people by technology companies or privacy?’ It is evident that some are worried and
frightened by the use of the internet, which in the eyes of many still appears as a new
and completely unknown world, full of dangers. This is also confirmed by one of the
employees of a French WISE who is always afraid when she is faced with a new
instrument: afraid of not being able to master it.
On the other hand, most of the WSNs interviewed have now overcome these fears:
they use WhatsApp, and other similar apps, daily to communicate with colleagues, but
also with relatives and friends outside the WISE. Many have their social accounts,
especially on Facebook and Instagram, where they publish multimedia content. Among
these, some, such as the employees of two French WISEs, use their smartphones a lot
but hardly ever the computer because they believe it is much more difficult.
Sectoral differences: the interviews did not reveal, for this type of technology,
significant differences between the various sectors. Internal communication is
developed homogeneously in all WISEs, as this aspect is not linked to the specific
activities, but rather to a culture of inclusion and awareness that is the basis of the
concept of social enterprise, and which therefore unites all WISEs.
What the WP1 surveys show: according to the collected data, 73.3% of supporters
used communication skills at work and 78.8% used them at home, while 27.8% of WSNs
used communication skills at work and 65.9% at home. Communication skills include
sending/receiving e-mails; participating in social networks; having phone/video calls
over the internet; and uploading self-created content to any website to be shared.
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Examining the level of endowment of the digital skills related to communication and
collaboration through digital technologies, 9% of enablers have a low level, 24.7% of
supporters have no or a low level of digital skills and 30.3% of WSNs have no or a low
level of digital skills.
Especially since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, teleworking has gained a lot
of importance all over the world. This is also the case for the WISEs interviewed, where
74.2% of enablers use tools that facilitate teleworking or online collaboration. Enablers
were also asked about the use of the same tools by supporters and WSNs within the
WISEs. According to them, 66.3% of supporters and only 25.8% of WSNs use
teleworking tools. In 18% of WISEs, none of the target groups use tools for teleworking.
In particular, small WISEs do not use tools for teleworking.
Conclusions and suggestions for improvement: as previously mentioned, the WISEs

show a widespread aptitude for the use of these technologies, probably even in terms
that are higher than the generality of companies. The WISEs are inclined to pay
particular attention to this aspect because they manifest a business culture particularly
oriented to creating a pleasant internal climate and sensitising all members, including
WSNs, to the values and mission of WISEs. For these reasons, they are inclined to
develop channels of rapid communication such as those mentioned above.
Therefore, improvement actions do not seem necessary for most WISEs. However, it
may be interesting to support the ones that use only e-mails as a means of internal
communication: they could be helped to also use instant messaging apps, to make
communication more immediate and less formal, making workers feel more involved
and at ease. In addition, widespread use of internal communication technologies does
not necessarily mean that all users also possess the necessary communication or
collaboration skills to use the technology efficiently and effectively. Therefore, it makes
sense to provide adequate training and, given that both supporters and WSNs use
digital communication and collaboration tools significantly more at home than at work,
WISEs should pay also attention to the need for digital skills in other contexts, outside
of the working environment.
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7.2.2 External communication and marketing technologies
What they are: these are tools used for corporate marketing, to promote products or
services and to spread the company’s mission. Companies create their websites or
pages on the main social networks, in which to share information and promotional
messages to keep customers informed and win new ones. To manage these pages, it is
necessary to have digital skills slightly greater than those necessary to manage the
internal communication tools. For this reason, these activities are often not managed
by WSNs.
What the cases say: the majority of the WISEs interviewed have a website and an
active social channel. The most used is Facebook, while there is less propensity to use
the most popular channels among young people today, such as Instagram and TikTok.
Some companies also engage in the creation of multimedia content, published mainly
on YouTube, to describe the company mission and the activities carried out, and to
make the buyers aware of the social implications connected to their products.
However, these contents have a low degree of diffusion, thus showing some limits of
the products/services or the strategies for their promotion. Another limitation of some
WISEs, such as the WISE Greece1, is that the use of social media for marketing
purposes is very basic, mainly for information purposes and rarely for promotional
purposes.
If, on the one hand, there are WISEs, such as Croatia2 and Spain4, that have obsolete
websites that should be updated and improved, on the other hand there are WISEs that
take great care of this aspect, such as Bulgaria3, which even promotes its business in
some television programmes. This WISE, furthermore, carries out an information
campaign through relations with the main Bulgarian media and newspapers.
There are cases, especially in Spain, in which marketing strategies are outsourced and
companies do not create their website but use the one of a parent cooperative. Other
WISEs, such as Romania7, on the contrary, have a specialised department for online
marketing.
Even though not all the WISEs are well developed from this point of view, most of them
appear to be aware of the importance of marketing: an example is the WISE Italy2,
which ‘appears aware of the growing weight that apps, digital technologies and e-
281
commerce have and will have in implementing and retaining their customers and
donors. Our WISE intends to keep up with the times and therefore we know that we
cannot avoid the use of new technologies, even if the current customers are of
advanced age, not too inclined to use digital tools’.
Sectoral differences: from the analysis of the cases, it is possible to note that external
communication technologies are more widespread in WISEs that operate in the
catering sector or in those that have shops. This is consistent with the behaviour of
traditional businesses in the same sectors and is linked to the nature of the activities
carried out, which require more direct promotional activities. However, even the WISEs
of the other sectors appear to be quite developed from this point of view, and no
substantial differences can be highlighted.
What the WP1 surveys show: almost all WISEs that participated in the surveys have
their own website. Only in Croatia and Greece approximately a third of the WISEs do
not have a website (respectively 33.3% and 28.6%). In Italy, Latvia, Poland and Spain,
16.7% of WISEs do not have a website. WISEs have a website mainly to pursue
promotional objectives (in 77.5% of the cases) and informational objectives (in 65.2% of
the cases). 64% of the WISEs are satisfied with their website and merely 7.8% of the
WISEs are very dissatisfied with their website. Only 16.9% of the WISEs state that their
website meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards. Conversely, a
large part (46.1%) of the WISEs do not know what WCAG standards are and if their
website meets them.
Looking at the results of the surveys, it can be seen that most WISEs (88.8%) use social
networks like Facebook and LinkedIn. Almost half of the WISEs (47.2%) use multimedia
content sharing websites such as Instagram or YouTube.
Conclusions and suggestions for improvement: the majority of WISEs appear not
dissimilar to other companies of comparable size. The style of communication varies
according to the culture of the company, being sometimes more oriented to presenting
the products sold, and sometimes more oriented to communicating the mission of the
WISE and the social value of the activities carried out.
WISEs could pay more attention to social communications, using the most popular
social networks today, especially among young people, and constantly updating their
websites, with higher-quality multimedia content. Furthermore, they could invest more
282
(marketing budget) to make the contents reach a good level of diffusion, which is now
often limited and probably only ‘organic’, i.e., linked to the visibility given by the
platforms’ algorithms. Investments in marketing could have a relevant impact as the
social value of the initiatives could attract great interest and media attention.
7.2.3 Training and support
What they are: two different sub-themes are included in this category: 1) training and
consultancy activities to help learn how to use new technologies and (digital) tools,
especially for WSNs and 2) the use of technology and specifically online platforms as a
tool for carrying out training activities.
Concerning the first theme, technologies as an object of training, we refer to initiatives

such as training courses, support desks or other ways to help workers use technologies
and (digital) tools that impact their working or daily life.
Concerning the second theme, we refer to e-learning platforms that are integrated
systems of interactive services to support and manage online learning and training.
They provide a complete learning experience where users can enrol, attend courses,
test their knowledge and receive certificates of participation. Many companies manage
training activities through Moodle, an open-source IT environment for managing
courses. Thanks to their modularity, Moodle and other digital platforms allow users to
personalise the learning environments and develop additional customised features. E-
learning platforms enable the learners to follow the courses and the other training
activities wherever they are and at any time.
What the cases say: a good number of WISEs pay attention to training and support
initiatives on technologies and digitalisation. This is coherent with the attention that the
WISEs attribute in general to training, in particular for WSNs. Many WISEs provide
digital literacy courses, with which they help WSNs to enter the digital world. These
courses are not aimed only at the production activities or other needs of the workplace,
but also at other aspects of daily life. These are technologies to be able to better carry
out common practices making life easier for people, e.g., searching for information
they need, dealing with public administrations, communicating with other people,
buying a product, enjoying multimedia content, etc. For many WSNs, some of these
tools, which are often simple, are not easy to understand immediately, representing
283
obstacles due to cognitive or physical limitations; and it is precisely to help these
people that many WISEs also create technological support desks, managed in most
cases by the company supporters themselves, but sometimes also by IT experts, as is
the case for example in Austria7 and Italy1. Some companies have started specific
projects for digital literacy: this is the case of the DigiCoach project of the WISE
Austria3, a project aimed not only at WSNs but also supporters. Similarly, Digifit, a
project by Austria9, aims at the digital fitness of WSNs. These cases highlight that the
WISEs are aware of the importance of digitalisation and desire to develop as much as
possible in this direction.
The majority of WISEs recognise the importance of this type of support, as one of the
supporters from Austria10 states: workers with special needs ‘need basic support and
skills in digitalisation, they need a basic qualification and training on online skills, on
online banking, on how to use a digital signature, how to use e-mail, how to use online
applications for social benefits, how to find and book a doctor, how to pay taxes online
[…]. Competence in information and research would also be important: how do I find
reliable news on the internet, which resources to trust, which not to trust, how do I use
job platforms, and how to apply online’. Workers of Italy6, which has activated a specific
consultancy desk aimed at its employees, agree with these words. The supporter
following this initiative states that ‘everyone should have basic training to understand
how to access the cooperative’s e-mail for information and to download the payslip.
Our desk also advises on the use of technology to simplify daily life (enrolment in the
Public Digital Identity System, secure online payments, booking of appointments with
the public administration)’. During the interview he also clarifies what the attitude of
WSNs towards this initiative is, explaining that the differences between who accesses
the IT consultancy counter and who does not are 1) the level of curiosity, 2) the
resistance to the use of technology in general and 3) the level of education. He adds
that ‘from the second meeting with the counter, the workers requested other
appointments and support because a relationship of trust was created. Languages
must be calibrated according to the user and his/her cultural/motivational level’. It is
evident, in this WISE, that for the support desk, but also the training courses on
technology, the role of the supporter who accompanies the learning is fundamental.
The supporter must create homogeneous groups coherent with professional and
educational levels, motivation and knowledge. If the groups are organised in the right
way, the learners keep sharing knowledge and help each other after the educational
284
activities. In any case, the resistance from some workers is strong and there is an
explicit request to simplify the technological notions as much as possible. Many ask to
be accompanied by the supporter in person and not online, especially for the technical
training.
It emerged that it is also important to have a motivator among the workers, a person
recognised by the group as a leader, who explains to the group why it is useful to use
new technologies in the company. ‘Innovations cannot be handed down from above.
Doing so would only raise a wall of resistance and frustration by those who are not
used to the adoption of new technologies’.
The cases allow us to also understand the use of technology and specifically online
platforms as a tool for carrying out training activities (the second sub-theme of this
section on training technologies).
Especially following the Covid-19 pandemic, many companies have started to provide
distance training, through online e-learning platforms. However, not all workers
appreciate these teaching methods, because they prefer to experience the training in
person and not online. One of the WSNs of Italy6 stated that ‘the online mode is not
liked because it is boring and because there is a violation of privacy in keeping the
camera on at home’. Had he been attending in person he would have been more
motivated to learn. Privacy is a deeply felt issue. It represents one of the greatest
problems and fears for people in difficulty. For this reason, it is often the subject of
training courses in the WISEs, as is the case, for example, in Netherlands2.
Regarding online training, some workers from Slovenia1 and Slovenia3 say : ‘it was
tough because sometimes I couldn’t speak or couldn’t listen or answer questions and
‘in my opinion, these lessons make it much more difficult to concentrate’. Furthermore,
for others, this learning method is complicated due to cognitive and physical deficits,
for example, a worker from Slovenia7 who has hearing problems said that it was very
difficult for her as she could not read lips.
While a large proportion of workers are not inclined to online training, some of them
have expressed positive opinions. Among these, there is for example a worker from
Austria7 according for whom e-learning is manageable as long as it focuses only on one
or two disciplines. Another worker, from Slovenia6, appreciates distance learning: he
285
considers it more comfortable, because it does not require him to be around other
people.
If there are conflicting opinions among workers and negative opinions often prevail, the
opposite happens for enablers and supporters. They believe, as one from Slovenia4
states, that these methods are very effective, above all because they allow for saving
time and economic resources.
A major concern when it comes to participating in e-learning is the availability of digital

devices. In Belgium, WSNs were also asked about personal ownership and use of
devices: out of a total of 38 WSNs, 68% reported having a computer, 47% a tablet and
82% a smartphone. 5% reported having no devices at all.
Sectoral differences: there are no particular differences between the various sectors.
As expected, technological training is more developed in companies that are more
technologically advanced. On the other hand, as regards the online learning methods,
they have been adopted by the majority of WISEs due to force majeure (pandemic)
regardless of the sector they belong to.
What the WP1 surveys show: the face-to-face and online surveys addressing enablers
investigated both internal and external training initiatives promoted by WISEs for their
employees.
Most WISEs interviewed do not provide training on digital skills themselves.

Nevertheless, there are some exceptions: all the WISEs in Austria that have been
interviewed provide training on digital skills; 83.3% did in France, 66.7% in Spain and
half in the Netherlands. In the remaining countries, only 40% or less of the WISEs do it.
The larger the WISEs, the more likely they will provide training on digital skills.
Among the three target groups, the main beneficiaries of training initiatives on digital
skills are enablers, while WSNs’ participation in training activities aimed at improving
their proficiency in digital skills is lower. This makes sense, since digital skills are
considered more relevant for enablers to carry out their tasks. The fact that the level of
endowment of digital skills is high for enablers shows that the current training
initiatives meet their needs.
286
Overall, a limited share of the WISEs interviewed (16.9%) have established partnerships
with other local/regional organisations to promote external training initiatives for
WSNs. The exception to this are French and Belgian WISEs (respectively 50% and 40%).
In particular, medium-sized WISEs rely on external partners to provide training
initiatives, probably because large WISEs provide more training initiatives themselves.
However, the online survey provides different results: according to the data, the share
of WISEs that established partnerships to provide training on digital skills is higher, and
it also includes large WISEs.
Conclusions and suggestions for improvement: training is an area in which WISEs

may be more effective than non-WISE companies. While some traditional businesses
may find this aspect of empowerment outside their mission, the WISEs can pay a lot of
attention to it and invest resources in it thanks to their commitment to improving the
conditions of WSNs.
This hypothesis is partially confirmed in the cases because at least 32% of WISEs that
were interviewed show a high commitment in terms of training and e-learning
platforms. However, considering the significant boost given by the Covid-19 pandemic
to these activities in all companies worldwide, it is not possible to say with certainty
that the WISEs are more active on this subject and these technologies than comparable
non-WISE companies.
The data collected from the surveys from WP1 also nuances the above-mentioned
view: WISEs are certainly committed to training their employees, but in the area of
digital skills training, and particularly for their WSNs, much progression is definitely still
possible.
Beyond the productive and working context, technology helps to simplify the
performance of many activities of daily life; however, for people like those belonging to
the WISEs, with cognitive and physical deficits, even the simplest operations can be
extremely complicated. Therefore, it is essential that the WISEs that do not currently
provide support for digitalisation develop in this direction: in this way, WSNs will be
able to interact more easily with the outside world and integrate into it. Obviously, by
providing adequate technical training to workers, WISEs can also obtain higher
digitalisation of their processes. Therefore, this would not only benefit the WSNs but
the entire company.
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One line of development regarding training activities and technologies is related to
personalisation. WISEs could invest in customising online training and hybrid training
(training partially online and partially in person) to the different needs of those who
must learn. For example, a flexible system could allow some people to follow in person,
others online; some to view the speaker’s face zoomed in for lip-reading, others not to
show their name and video for privacy reasons. Some of these innovations could be
integrated into new customised e-learning platforms, optimally accessible also by
WSNs. These platforms could be ad hoc developments of open-source platforms such
as Moodle. Enabling e-learning to be used on both smartphones and computers is key.
7.2.4 Administration and accounting
What they are: this section considers the technologies to support office work and
accounting, such as software for electronic invoicing, payroll management, time and
attendance, and employee administration.
What the cases say: this appears to be one of the areas in which the technology is
more used in WISEs. The firms examined generally appear to have a good level of use
of technologies to support office work. Some cases have been documented in which
the companies are still predominantly paper-based, but the level of digitalisation
appears generally good and comparable to that of non-WISE firms of similar size. Most
WISEs equip their office workers with hardware devices with personal productivity
software, use electronic invoicing (which has become mandatory at least in some
countries) and implement digital payroll applications. Generally, the WISEs use
dedicated software for various administrative functions (accounting, attendance
recording, etc.), sometimes with solutions that interconnect the different software,
determining a significant increase in efficiency. Furthermore, the digitalisation of these
documents, such as timesheets, and organisation of shifts and payrolls, often allows
workers to be able to consult them simply and immediately through dedicated apps or
portals. There are a few cases in which this does not happen, for example in Romania2,
where it was stated that ‘they do not have an internal platform for employees because
not everyone would be able to manage it’. In response to this problem, however, one of
the workers of a French WISE states that the management of administrative activities
should not be excessively problematic because ‘if they think about it, they get there or
ask for help’.
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An area that deserves specific attention concerns the tools for digital management of
job placement paths. For example, ‘computerised personal folders’ relating to the
WSNs involved would allow supporters to manage, with the necessary guarantees of
privacy, information relating to the persons who have entered and the path taken (for
example, periodic checks on the progress, on the learning carried out on the job or
through training courses and the results of verification sessions carried out jointly with
public services that have charge of the person who has been inserted). This type of
solution, in addition to being useful for the management and monitoring of the
employees, would allow, especially for larger WISEs, for easy extrapolation of useful
data both to verify the results achieved for internal improvement purposes and to
document the work done for the stakeholders. Solutions of this kind are not absent
from the WISEs (for example, some French cases have tools of this type and some
Italian WISEs have developed them over the years), but in most cases they are
considered a bureaucratic burden to the supporters’ work or even a practice that takes
away warmth and immediacy from the relationship with the people involved. For these
reasons, they appear to be used by only a few WISEs.
Sectoral differences: almost all the WISEs analysed are aligned with non-WISE
companies and no relevant differences between sectors have been highlighted.
What the WP1 surveys show: the digitalisation of management processes (e.g., digital
organisation of work schedule, e-invoicing) is indeed the most significant domain in
which WISEs apply technologies and digitalisation processes. Almost all WISEs that
participated in the surveys believe these technologies or digitalisation processes are
relevant. Consequently, the level of reliance on them is rather high and the differences
between large, medium-sized and small WISEs are rather small.
The surveys also clearly show a high relevance of these technologies in the next five
years. Only 6.7% of WISEs think they will not be relevant and 70.8% of the enablers
declare that the level of reliance on digital management processes will be rather high in
the years to come. 20.2% of enablers believe they will reach a low level of reliance on
digital management processes. Almost all large WISEs attribute great relevance to the
digitalisation of management processes in the next five years; nevertheless, small and
medium-sized WISEs also plan to digitise management processes to a certain level.
Over 60% of them consider that the level of reliance on digital management processes
will be high.
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A particular aspect taken into account in the surveys was the digitalisation of the
invoicing process. 62.9% of WISEs already use e-invoices, i.e., invoices in an electronic
format and in a standard structure suitable for automated processing. Nevertheless,
not all invoices issued by WISEs are already suitable for automated processing. 60.7%
of WISEs still use invoices in PDF and JPEG formats, and send them via e-mail, while
38.2% of WISEs still send paper invoices. Small WISEs are lagging behind: only 53.8% of
small WISEs use e-invoices suitable for automated processing.
Conclusions and suggestions for improvement: a systematic comparison between

the level of digitalisation of WISE office work and that of comparable companies by
sector and size is difficult, but in the cases no systematic gaps in the WISEs emerge in
this regard. As already mentioned, the WISEs seem from this point of view to be aligned
in terms of development concerning comparable non-WISE companies.
According to both WP1 and WP2, this area appears to be the one in which there is the
greatest degree of digital and technological development in almost all WISEs, and this
can also be linked to the fact that WSNs are not usually the ones who have to deal with
these activities. The administrative and personnel management aspects are also well
managed because they intersect with formal needs (laws) and objectives (employment
of WSNs).
7.2.5 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
What it is: Enterprise Resource Planning is a software for the integrated management
of various activities of the organisation, such as accounting, procurement, project
management, risk and compliance management, operations and supply chain. ERP
systems relate the different processes to each other and helps in sharing information
between different departments and the analysis of data. They offer the possibility to
monitor the overall functioning of the organisation and intervene to make the
processes more efficient and effective in different areas and departments of the
company (e.g., finance office, human resources office, technical office, marketing
office).
What the cases say: ERP software can be considered an evolution and an extension of
the administration and accounting software seen in the previous paragraph. These are
more complex tools that, depending on the type of activity carried out, can then be
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interconnected with other software, for example for warehouse management or for
the detection of specific actions of workers (e.g., places where the worker must
perform cleaning or waste collection actions). This software can have a significant
impact on administrative, financial, technological and work management objectives.
From the analysis of the cases, it emerges that only a few WISEs integrate ERP systems
within them. It is more common in Spanish companies. Most of them have declared
that they use ERP software for their processes. The WISEs Austria3 and Belgium1 are
also quite developed from this point of view. They use SAP, which is among the most
widespread and advanced software. In particular, these WISEs use ERP for automating
time recording, vacation approval, quarantine and leave notifications and for process
optimisation. Other WISEs, such as Italy1 and 3 and France2, have instead declared
that, even if they do not use it yet, the implementation of an ERP system is planned. In
some cases, it is believed that this type of technology is not suited to the skills of WSNs.
As stated in Italy3, ‘the normal management systems on the market are not very
accessible, and this is why we intend to develop a new software that increases the
autonomy of the workers’.
Sectoral differences: from the analysis of the case studies, no particular differences
are highlighted related to the sectors to which the different WISEs belong. The few
companies, among those interviewed, that integrate the use of ERP systems internally
belong to different sectors. As a matter of fact, these systems can be adapted to any
sector and business need.
What the WP1 surveys show: 33.7% of the WISEs that participated in the surveys have
already implemented an ERP software package. Nevertheless, there are large
differences between countries. None of the WISEs in Greece, Italy and Latvia use an
ERP software package. Conversely, more than half of the WISEs in Austria, Belgium,
France, the Netherlands and Spain use this software. Furthermore, the size of the
enterprise plays an important role: 81.3% of large WISEs use an ERP software package,
while the large majority of small WISEs (80.8%) does not. This makes sense considering
the fact that small enterprises mainly use CRM software.
Conclusions and suggestions for improvement: as mentioned above, not many

WISEs are developed from this point of view. However, the integration of ERP systems,
although not a priority for many WISEs, helps to optimise the management of
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companies and this would also lead to an increase in their productivity. Especially for
WISEs that are already digitising different aspects of management and administration,
the use of an ERP system would allow them to integrate all the different functions in a
single software, providing a single, complete and constantly updated view of the data
relating to different business areas.
7.2.6 Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
What it is: Customer Relationship Management software helps companies manage,

analyse and optimise interactions with their (potential) customers. The goal of CRM is
to find and manage new customers, understand and improve the ability to satisfy their
customers and, in general, allow for the creation an ongoing relationship with
customers and constantly improve relationships and value for the company and the
client.
This type of software allows monitoring, automating and improving marketing

processes. In general, it can be stated that CRM will be mainly used by younger and
small to medium-sized enterprises, whereas fast-growing, mature and large enterprises
will prefer ERP. In many cases, the CRM module will then be part of the ERP.
What the cases say: the use of CRM software is not very widespread within the WISEs
that are the object of the case studies. Less than 10% of the companies interviewed
said they use or are implementing digital services for customer management. Only one
WISE spoke properly of a CRM system, the WISE Latvia3. The latter is a company that
provides call centre services where all employees work digitally and use CRM software
in their daily operations. Despite the high digitalisation in all operations, the workers of
this WISE state that ‘they are not worried about the fact that in the future technologies
can replace their work since the human touch must always be perceived in the calls of
the call centre’. The company recognises as its strength the individual approach to each
customer, the attention to the internal processes of its customers and the provision of
good-quality services.
In the Netherlands, the digitalisation of customer management appears to be quite

widespread. Most of the companies interviewed are integrating new technologies in
this area. In particular, Netherlands6 customer service is managed with the HubSpot
software (one of the most widespread and effective CRM software), and the company
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declared that it ‘is open to a new digital customer tracking system as a development of
WSNs skills and for new activities. The only barrier is represented by the cost and time
to implement such systems’. This shows that, among the main obstacles to the
digitalisation and technological development of these companies, there are problems
related to finding financial resources.
Sectoral differences: among the analysed WISEs, few use CRM systems; therefore, it is
not possible to outline the differences among the different production sectors. Given
the nature of the tools, it seems quite logical that they are used more when the
company has more customers and more direct contact with the customers and has to
manage a greater amount of data related to them (B2C – Business to Consumer –
companies).
What the WP1 surveys show: fewer WISEs implement a standalone CRM software
package compared to an ERP software package (25.8%). Especially Austrian, French and
Romanian WISEs use CRM software (66.7% or more). None of the Belgian, Greek,
Italian, Polish or Slovenian WISEs implemented a CRM software package. Moreover,
there are less noticeable differences between small, medium-sized or large WISEs.
19.2% of small WISEs, 33.3% of medium-sized WISEs and 37.5% of large WISEs use CRM
software. If WISEs do implement CRM software, they use it mainly to collect, keep and
make information on customers accessible to different departments within the WISE.
The analysis of information about WISEs’ customers for marketing purposes is less
common today.
Conclusions and suggestions for improvement: the integration of CRM software is

not widespread within the companies interviewed. As regards these systems, we can
partly refer to what was said previously for ERP software: if companies used it more,
they would be able to simplify some management processes, in this case of customers,
and consequently the processes of acquiring and retaining their customers.
7.2.7 File and data storage
What they are: these technologies include hardware devices, infrastructure and
software dedicated to the permanent storage of large quantities of information in
electronic format. Among these technologies, today cloud storage services play a
leading role. This data-retention model requires data to be stored on multiple virtual
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servers generally hosted at third-party facilities or dedicated servers. This system
allows access and downloads by multiple users at the same time and does not have
limits in terms of space occupied.
What the cases say: WISEs that use digital file and data storage systems seem aligned
with non-WISE companies. Indeed, several of the WISEs analysed store data on the
cloud, and share files, not only through e-mail or other communication systems but
also through online sharing programs. In particular, among these solutions, the most
popular are Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive.
Once again, the Dutch companies are among the most advanced in this field. Almost all
the WISEs of this nation have declared that they have integrated cloud systems for e-
mail and data storage within their companies.
Sectoral differences: for this type of technology there are no relevant sectoral
differences. Nowadays, all types of companies find themselves having to archive and
manage large amounts of data, regardless of the sector they belong to.
What the WP1 surveys show: 56.2% of WISEs that participated in the surveys buy
cloud computing services over the internet. However, there are major differences
between countries. In countries such as Belgium, Croatia, France, Latvia, the
Netherlands and Spain, more than 60% of the WISEs make use of them. Mainly large
and medium-sized WISEs buy these services, respectively 68.8% and 71.4%. Conversely,
only 46.2% of small WISEs buy cloud computing services.
Conclusions and suggestions for improvement: as previously mentioned, the WISEs

that integrate digital systems for storing and sharing data and files appear to be
aligned with non-WISE companies. However, most of the companies interviewed in the
case studies did not mention the presence of such technologies within their
companies. These companies could benefit from investments in this area because
these systems help to simplify management and business activities. In addition, these
technologies are easy to use and facilitate information sharing and collaborative work.
Finally, these technologies can also be used in the private sphere. Training courses in
these digital technologies, therefore, have a double impact: they can be useful both at
work and at home.
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7.2.8 Technologies for products/services and production processes
What they are: this section does not consider a single technology but several and the
integration of technological tools and solutions into products/services and processes
for carrying out production activities. These technologies can vary significantly in
relation to various factors, in particular the type of company and the sectors in which
the company operates. For example, for a production company, it is important to
evaluate the technologies used in production plants, such as the machinery that
automates the production processes. For the catering sector, it is appropriate to
evaluate the tools used to digitise the customer experience or the activities in the
kitchen, such as tablets to take orders. In general, therefore, in this section it is not
possible to identify and describe a single technology. In the following, we will highlight
the most interesting technologies in terms of products/services and production
processes that emerged in the different cases.
What the cases say: from the analysis of the case studies, it is possible to highlight two
different situations. On the one hand, there are WISEs that integrate various
technologies, some of which are cutting-edge, which make them competitive with
traditional companies. On the other hand, however, there are WISEs that still carry out
almost only manual activities and that have no intention of automating their processes,
either because they believe that automation is not necessary for the type of activity
that they carry out or because they believe that this can cause problems.
There are cases of WISEs, generally of large dimensions, that are equipped with state-
of-the-art production facilities compared to the technologies available on the market.
Among these cases there is, for example, Croatia3, which is equipped with the best
technology and the latest machinery, which allow it to create high-quality products and
therefore achieve high customer satisfaction. Also, in its SWOT analysis, France3
identifies the mechanisation of some positions as an opportunity to ‘keep up with the
times and be able to accommodate more types of waste’. Also of interest is the
emergence of rapid prototyping, as in Belgium1: through 3D-printing and laser cutting
engineers designed and created tools and objects to make production possible or to
adapt individual workplaces. The goal of the engineers of Belgium1 was ‘to go from
design to realisation in four hours’. This way, the WISE can adapt workplaces very
quickly to respond to the production demands and the quality needs of their clients.
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However, automation is also identified as a threat, because ‘mechanisation must be
adequately supported in order not to lose sight of the mission of inclusion’. This WISE is
not alone in considering technology as a threat to job inclusion: Netherlands5 also sees
the digitalisation of standardised production processes as a threat to employment and
argues that ‘to create jobs for all employees, many activities will remain manual’.
Poland3 also operates in a completely traditional way because ‘direct contact, close
relationships, attention to others and sensitivity to their needs are of great importance.
A WISE is an enterprise in which stability and predictability, tranquillity and a “familiar”
and calm space of professional activity are important. In this perspective, the use of
technology – both today and in the future – is out of focus. The important thing is to be
with the other person, build a professional path for them and accompany them on that
path. Digital technologies are not yet part of this concept, as they cannot replace the
other person and the time saving they can bring is not important’. In addition to the
managers, this vision is sometimes shared by the workers themselves, as claimed by a
worker from Slovenia4 who states that ‘they lose their jobs because of machines; once
they are bought, they no longer have a job’.
In addition to the problem of the replacement of humans by machines, another issue

raised by some WISEs is related to the lower skills that WSNs frequently have. For
example, Italy4 makes very little use of technology because ‘due to its intrinsic
complexity, it is perceived as unsuitable and not very accessible to WSNs’. The main
difference between this WISE and the other Italian WISEs can be found in the approach
to digital technologies: in this WISE, they are not perceived as an opportunity, but as a
complexity, especially for WSNs. In the management team, the equation ‘less
technology = greater ease of execution and greater employment opportunities for
WSNs’ is widespread. One of the Netherlands2 supporters holds views in line with this
conviction: ‘digitalisation can be impersonal and there is a risk of loneliness for people
who are unable to keep up with it’.
These fears, however, do not always lead to a total absence of digitalisation: there are,
in fact companies, such as Croatia1 and Belgium1, that carry out a ‘hybrid’ production,
automating only some phases of the production process, while others are still carried
out manually to favour labour integration.
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Furthermore, there is no shortage of WISEs that, while wanting to innovate, are unable
to do so due to limited financial resources. As one of the supporters of Austria4 says,
‘digitalisation is expensive and social enterprises cannot afford it’.
Sectoral differences: in this context, the sector in which the various WISEs operate is
fundamental for two reasons. The first is that some of the companies interviewed
argue that the integration of technologies is not required in their sector, as it is not
necessary for their activities. These companies claim to have intentionally identified
simple (sometimes economically secondary) productive activities, because they are
more suitable for offering job opportunities to workers with physical, social and
cognitive limitations, who consider themselves extraneous to the reasoning relating to
technological innovation and digitalisation.
The second reason why the sector is relevant for technologies related to
products/services and production is that, depending on the different types of sectors in
which the companies operate, it is possible to identify common technologies.
From the analysis of the cases, one of the operational sectors of WISEs in which digital
and technological tools are used the most is the catering sector. In this sector, for
example, there are several WISEs that use state-of-the-art kitchen appliances and tools,
such as Greece1 and Croatia1, or that are investing in order to do so, such as Spain5.
According to France1, food production is evolving enormously in terms of new
technologies and culinary techniques (low temperature cooking machines, cooling cells,
vacuum packaging, etc.), so even the WISEs must find a way to ‘keep up’. Another
technology widely used in this sector is the combination of tablets and software for
receiving orders and for direct communication of them with the kitchen. Nowadays,
these are not very innovative technologies, but they show attention to introducing
elements of digitalisation and ‘not being left behind’. Furthermore, the fact that these
technologies are not complex represents an advantage for these WISEs because they
can easily integrate them within their companies, allowing them to be used even by
WSNs.
Another sector in which various technologies have been introduced is the sector of
cleaning and environmental services. In this sector, we could expect the use of mainly
manual tools, as is the case, for example, of the WISEs Poland3 and Greece3, while
several interviewed companies are digitising their activities. This is the case of Spain7
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where the cleaning department uses cloud-based software to manage its activities,
such as monitoring incidents and resolution times, issuing work orders and
notifications, and assigning and planning work. Spain4 is also at the forefront of
technology and is experimenting with a window cleaning drone. Netherlands4 is also
very developed in this sector: robots are used for cleaning and geolocation tools are
used to monitor their movements, driving speed and emissions.
Some WISEs that own production plants have also introduced technological
innovations. Among these, for example, are Austria1, which is investing in technologies
for automating the cutting of clothes, and Latvia4, which is equipped with different
technologies, such as printing machines, machines to produce stamps and sewing
machines.
What the WP1 surveys show: the relevance of the digitalisation of standardised
production processes varies within and across countries in Europe, from not relevant
(24.7% of WISEs) to highly relevant (18% of WISEs). Data indicates that mainly large
WISEs see the relevance of these technologies and they rely on them moderately or
highly (62.5%). Medium-sized and small WISEs seem to consider these technologies as
less relevant, and as a consequence they rely less on them.
According to the surveys, 71.9% of WISEs plan to digitise standardised production

processes at a certain level in the next five years. 28.1% of WISEs think there will be a
rather low level of reliance on digital production processes and 43.8% of WISEs think
the level of reliance will be rather high. However, 25.8% of the enablers indicate that for
their WISE, the digitalisation of standardised production processes will not be relevant
within five years. Up to half of the Italian WISEs, 55.6% of the Slovenian WISEs and 40%
of the Dutch WISEs do not think it will be relevant. The face-to-face survey showed no
relationship between the desire to digitise standardised production processes and the
size of the WISE. Nonetheless, the results of the online survey indicate that it is mainly
large WISEs that plan to digitise standardised production processes in the near future.
Conclusions and suggestions for improvement: as mentioned above, it is not

possible to outline a single framework regarding technologies for products/services
and production activities within the WISEs. Cases of WISEs that are as technologically
advanced as non-WISE companies of the same size and belonging to the same sectors
have been documented. And it has also been shown that these technological WISEs
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occur in the most diverse production sectors. Therefore, it can be assumed that all
types of WISEs can, through adequate efforts and investments, develop technologically
without having to give up their main focus, the integration of WSNs. This innovation
effort is in many cases essential to remain competitive in the market.
Providing more precise indications regarding the adoption of these technologies would
require a more in-depth analysis of the different case studies and a greater number of
cases. Only in this way would it be possible to identify and propose ad hoc solutions for
every type of company and sector.
7.2.9 E-commerce
What it is: e-commerce is the term generally used for the technologies that facilitate
the sale of products and services online, through a company website, or by using
special intermediation and distribution platforms, such as Amazon.
What the cases say: even though the majority of the WISEs analysed have their own
websites, their use for online sales is still very limited. Among the most developed
WISEs in this area are Latvia1, where sales are mostly made through an online store,
and advanced tools and services are used (e.g., online chatbot, Canva, Chatra, Isolta).
Netherlands4, in addition to online sales, has developed software for managing its
online activities (sales and customer service).
Many WISEs, although not yet active in this aspect, know that online commerce is
taking over traditional commerce and, for this reason, have declared that they have
already planned investments for the implementation of e-commerce. This is the case,
for example, of Austria9 and Netherlands4.
Sectoral differences: it is evident that the development of e-commerce is more

widespread in those sectors in which the sale of products is carried out. Among the
WISEs, the most advanced from this point of view are the ones that deal with the sale
of clothes and handicrafts. However, also in other sectors, online marketing methods
are being integrated. For example, some WISEs operating in the hospitality tourism
sector use online booking channels and some WISEs in the catering sector also carry
out deliveries via online platforms.
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What the WP1 surveys show: considering e-commerce, it can be noted that most
WISEs do not sell goods or services online. If WISEs do sell goods/services online, they
do this mostly via their website or via an app. In general, e-commerce forms a relatively
small part of the total turnover of the WISE. Only 6.6% of the WISEs that participated in
the surveys indicate that e-commerce generates more than 20% of their total turnover.
12.4% of WISEs that participated in the surveys intend to start selling goods or services
online in the next 12 months. Not only large ones, but also small and medium-sized
WISEs plan to implement e-commerce activities in the near future. The online survey
shows an even greater prevalence of small WISEs planning to sell goods and services
online in the next 12 months.
Conclusions and suggestions for improvement: WISEs do not appear fully aligned
with non-WISE companies of the same size and the same sectors in this aspect. This
may be because WISEs have lower sales volumes and more local customers. At the
same time, this situation could be a consequence of the lack of e-commerce and not a
reason for its absence. The lack of e-commerce, combined with deficiencies in
marketing strategies and investments, could be the reason for low and localised sales
volumes. For this reason, and because of the increasing diffusion of online commerce,
the WISEs that deal with the sale of products should think about developing their e-
commerce or starting online sales through intermediary platforms (e.g., Amazon).
Some WISEs are aware of the potential of these technologies for sales growth and
expansion into other geographic areas: for example, an enabler from Slovenia1
recognises the opportunity in expanding online business, which would allow them to
access different markets and even international ones.
7.2.10 Assistive technologies
What they are: assistive technologies are technologies created to make IT software
and tools accessible and usable by people with disabilities. Unlike aids, which are made
of mechanical or electronic components and are supportive in the activities of daily life
(e.g., wheelchairs), assistive technologies only concern products of an IT nature and are
generally composed of a complex of hardware and software integrated into a
standalone device. A central aspect of assistive technology is its human-machine
interface: the system that allows interactions with the environment despite the
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difficulties and limitations in a physical-spatial sense or in terms of the user’s
interpersonal relationships. Such technologies are often configured as interfaces to be
added to existing systems to make them more usable and accessible. Examples of
assistive technologies are screen readers, touch screens, special keyboards and speech
recognition software.
What the cases say: WISEs should be the type of companies that most of all integrate
assistive technologies into their processes, however, the analysis of the case studies
shows that there are still few WISEs investing in this field. The most developed region
from this point of view seems to be Flanders (in Belgium), where almost all the WISEs
interviewed have made, or are willing to make, major investments in assistive
technologies that help WSNs to perform the most complex tasks. For example,
Belgium2 states that it ‘has a positive attitude towards the use of technology because it
sees it as a means to offer new ways to improve work integration’. Similar is the
thought of Austria5, the only one among those studied in that country that is making
progress in this direction. In this WISE, both enablers and supporters expressed their
positive opinion on assistive technologies: ‘digitalisation simplifies many things,
especially as regards support for young people with disabilities’ declared an enabler,
while a supporter argues that ‘assistive technologies are supporting young people with
disabilities and digital devices and tools represent an opportunity for them’.
Among the cases analysed, the most advanced WISE seems to be Spain3. This WISE is
led by enablers united by the firm commitment to the digitalisation and improvement
of the support offered to their workers with disabilities, in particular those who require
more help. To this end, they have designed a 360° adaptation strategy which consists in
analysing and adapting not only the workstations, but also the spaces, people and
activities, to identify and remove any accessibility barriers. A team of engineers is
assigned to design the customised support required by each worker, such as special
monitors and speech recognition software. Supporters also play a fundamental role in
this company: they carry out training and awareness actions with department heads to
generate a culture of adaptation and accessibility at 360°.
The WISE Netherlands2 has also integrated different types of assistive technologies into
its production processes, such as language computers that convert spoken language
into a readable format (speech recognition) for people with hearing impairments and
the HoloLens AR device to provide cognitive support to employees. In addition, it is
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testing new assistive technologies, including VR glasses that illuminate where
something needs to be mounted and a smart projector for viewing manufacturing
instructions.
Assistive technologies are a deeply felt issue within WISEs, even by those who are
against digitalisation. In an interview, one of the supporters states that ‘digitalisation
can be impersonal and there is a risk of loneliness for people who are unable to keep
up with it, but, despite this, he declares himself ‘an advocate of technical support
options for employees’.
Sectoral differences: there are no particular sectoral differences regarding the

integration of assistive technologies. Indeed, these technologies are born to support
people with difficulties in the most varied activities and all sectors. The WISEs are
companies that have as their main purpose the integration of WSNs, so we would
expect ven more efforts in the introduction of assistive technologies, regardless of the
sector to which the WISEs belong.
What the WP1 surveys show: in the surveys targeting enablers, three different
categories of assistive technology were considered: 1) assistive technology for physical
support, 2) assistive technology for social support and 3) assistive technology for
cognitive support.
Taking into consideration assistive technology in the domain of physical support, the
results of the face-to-face survey show that 91% of the WISEs do not use them yet. Only
2.2% of WISEs use exoskeletons, 4.5% of WISEs use industrial robots and collaborative
robots (cobots) and 4.5% of WISEs use service robots for activities such as surveillance
and cleaning. Almost all WISEs indicating that they use assistive technology for physical
support are large WISEs.
Looking into the use of assistive technology in the domain of cognitive support, 94.4%
of enablers state that their WISE does not use assistive technology for cognitive
support. Merely 1.1% of WISEs use Augmented or Virtual Reality applications via
portable devices, only 3.4% of WISEs implemented industrial Augmented Reality via
projection technology in their WISE and there are even fewer WISEs (1.1%) making use
of personalised interfaces. The larger the WISE, the more assistive technology for
cognitive support implemented.
302
The last category investigated is assistive technology in the domain of social support.
96.6% of interviewed WISEs do not use assistive technology for social support. None
use Augmented or Virtual Reality via smartphones, tablets or smart glasses with the
purpose of offering social support. Only 2.2% of WISEs apply smart e-coaching or e-
health apps in their workplace. Finally, none of the WISEs involved in the research use
social robots. It would be reasonable to think that, as happens for other technologies,
large WISEs adopt more assistive technologies for social support compared with small
WISEs. However, due to the small number of WISEs in the sample declaring they use
assistive technologies, no significant trends in their use can be detected.
Overall, the relevance and the level of reliance on the technological adaptation of
individual workplaces is diverse across the EU: 36% of enablers indicate that this
domain is irrelevant and 7.9% of WISEs state that they reached a high level of reliance
on these technologies. Nevertheless, overall, the relevance and the level of reliance on
technological adaptations of individual workplaces is lower compared to the
digitalisation of standardised production processes and the digitalisation of
management processes, as only a small percentage of WISEs reach a high level of
reliance on these assistive technologies. Furthermore, it can be noticed that all Austrian
WISEs interviewed deemed this category of technology/digitalisation irrelevant, 66.7%
of Latvian and Slovenian WISEs think it is irrelevant and half of Italian and Dutch WISEs
do not see the relevance of the technological adaptation of individual workplaces for
their businesses today.
Considering the size of the WISEs, the same tendency can be observed as the results
for the digitalisation of standardised production processes showed. Mainly large WISEs
indicate that the technological adaptation of individual workplaces is relevant and there
is a higher level of reliance on these technologies in large WISEs compared with small
and medium-sized WISEs.
Looking toward the future, a high percentage (37.1%) of WISEs do not think these kinds
of technologies and digitalisation processes concerning the adaptation of individual
workplaces will be relevant in the five years to come. Only 29.2% of WISEs believe that
there will be a high level of reliance on them in the near future and 30.3% of enablers
state that their WISE will reach a rather low level of reliance on the technological
adaptation of individual workplaces. The results of the online survey show a slightly
higher reliance on this domain than the face-to-face survey. Only 16% of enablers do
303
not believe the technological adaptation of individual workplaces will be relevant.
42.3% of enablers indicated that the level of reliance will be rather high in the near
future and 41.7% of enablers indicated that the level of reliance will be rather low in the
near future.
The face-to-face survey showed no relationship between the desire to implement

technological adaptations in individual workplaces and the size of the WISE; this
contrasts with the results of the online survey, which indicate that it is mainly large
WISEs that plan to implement technological adaptations to individual workplaces.
Conclusions and suggestions for improvement: although in some cases the

integration of assistive technologies within companies is present, greater investment by
the WISEs in this area could have been expected. We would also have expected the
development of original and innovative solutions, given the specialisation of many
WISEs in productions involving WSNs. Assistive technologies are rarely mentioned in
the case studies. A traditional organisation of work and tools seems to be the norm in
the WISEs, even for people with disabilities. WISEs rarely seem to be protagonists or co-
protagonists in the search for original assistive solutions, even if they are the business
subjects that could be most interested in developing them. The introduction of such
technologies could be an important step toward the technological innovation of all
WISEs: by supporting WSNs in carrying out various productive activities, companies
would generate, in addition to greater integration and inclusion, an increase in the
productivity of these human resources. Furthermore, they would allow the latter to be
able to use even more technological tools more easily, making it easier for the
company to technologize production processes, products/services, and in general to
introduce other technologies. Different studies show the efficacy and relevance of
assistive technology (e.g., Huang 2018; Bosch and van Rhijn, 2017). Therefore, it is
important to collect and spread good practices to make assistive technologies more
mainstream.
7.2.11 Emerging technologies
What they are: emerging technologies are technologies whose development and
practical applications, or both, are still largely unrealised. These technologies are
generally new but also include older technologies finding new applications. Emerging
304
technologies are often perceived as capable of changing the status quo. Emerging
technologies include a variety of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data,
Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning (ML).
What the cases say: few of the WISEs in the case studies spontaneously mentioned
the use of emerging technologies in their business.
What the surveys show: the surveys targeting enablers explicitly questioned the
implementation of AI/ML, big data and IoT.
It can be noted that almost none of the WISEs interviewed have already implemented
AI/ML applications. If WISEs apply AI, it concerns technologies analysing written
language (5.6% of WISEs) and technologies converting spoken language into a machine-
readable format (5.6% of WISEs). Most of these WISEs are large enterprises.
Furthermore, the willingness to use AI/ML (in the future) is relatively low. Over 80% of
WISEs do not consider using it today or in the future.
Another important element investigated is big data. Only 12.4% of WISEs performed a
big data analysis (themselves or by engaging another organisation). Once more, the
results show that mostly large WISEs use big data analyses. WISEs using big data
perform analyses on different kinds of data sources: data from smart devices or
sensors, geolocation data, data generated from social media, etc.
IoT is the use of interconnected devices/systems that can be monitored or controlled

remotely via the internet. Today, almost 20% of the WISEs interviewed use these kinds
of devices. 43.8% of large WISEs apply the principle of the IoT in their organisation. For
small and medium-sized WISEs, this is less than 15%. WISEs use technologies such as
smart measuring devices, smart lamps, smart thermostats, movement or maintenance
sensors, radio-frequency identification (RFID) or internet protocol (IP) tags, internet-
controlled cameras, etc. The applications are very diverse.
Conclusions and suggestions for improvement: the use of emerging technologies

was not spontaneously mentioned in any WISE participating in the use case studies. On
the other hand, WP1’s surveys show that at least a modest number of WISEs have
experience using them. Apart from creating awareness and sharing good practices and
lessons learned, subsequent research could investigate the use of emerging
technologies, in the various sectors.
305
7.3 Conclusions and future developments
WISEs are not technology companies and do not normally aspire to paths of rapid
growth. They are not born with a focus on growth and revenues but on their social
mission. However, the adoption of technologies and growth can lead to greater
efficiency and effectiveness, and a larger size can translate into higher impact and the
employment of a larger group of WSNs.
As we have previously seen, several WISEs are technologically in line with traditional
companies. However, many lag behind and require support. Very few have leveraged
technologies for significant growth. In no case study, for example, are original
inventions and innovative technologies or patents and other types of intellectual
property cited.
An area in which significant and interesting technological developments seem possible

is marketing and sales, for example in terms of strategies and investments in digital
strategies, e-commerce and CRM.
Subsequent research could investigate the use of specific technologies, productive and
otherwise, in the various sectors. However, advanced technologies did not emerge in
WISEs in any sector. There are no known theoretical limits to the development of new
technologies in WISEs, but the lower availability of investments and specialised
personnel with advanced skills is certainly a limit to their development.
These limits are probably also linked to a different entrepreneurial culture, more
attentive to slow but constant growth than to rapid and, inevitably, more risky growth:
a culture that takes a possible bankruptcy of the company very seriously because it
would force to lay off employees. On the contrary, high-tech entrepreneurs and in
general entrepreneurs who aim to build large businesses have a higher tolerance for
failure. They have ambitious goals that attract talents and economic resources with the
hope of significant results, but also the awareness of the possibility of failure.
In the previous sections, we have indicated some avenues for possible developments in
terms of technologies and innovation. A final consideration concerns the advantages
that the WISEs can have compared to other companies. In addition to the advantage of
a social mission that can resonate positively in the decisions of different customers,
WISEs could leverage their specificities in terms of innovation. In particular, analysing
306
and satisfying the needs of their workers can push them to modify or create new
products and services that can then be adopted by other organisations and customers.
As highlighted, for example in the case of training technologies, WISEs could work on
the need for personalisation in terms of privacy, screens and visualizations, hybrid
training, etc. Other examples of areas of possible innovation are 1) technologies for
work placements and the monitoring and integration of workers in the organisation
and 2) assistive technologies and in general the personalisation of work environments,
i.e., the areas in which the WISEs have significant challenges to be faced and solved.
The reasons why WISEs have not seized these opportunities were included in the
surveys of WP1, but need to be investigated further. Based on the outcomes of the
surveys of WP1, there are different factors hindering WISEs from implementing
technologies or digitalisation processes, but the main ones seem to be, in order of
importance, 1) lack of priority, 2) lack of relevance, 3) lack of budget and 4) lack of skills
or capacities of the organisation.
We can deduce from the results of the surveys of WP1 and the use cases of WP2 that 1)
the lack of resources (e.g., budget, skills, people, etc.) and 2) significant (economies of)
scale are main factors hindering WISEs from implementing technologies or
digitalisation processes. Two partial solutions could derive on the one hand from the
collaboration between WISEs to increase the resources available and the critical mass,
and on the other hand from the collaboration with other organisations (Open
Innovation). Collaborations with other actors (companies but also research centres and
universities) would also help to involve skills not currently available in the WISEs.
Relations between WISEs and organisations devoted to research and technological
innovation (first of all universities and specifically engineering faculties) are not
completely absent, but in most national contexts they are episodic and linked only to
the largest WISEs.
The lack of external collaborations is, however, understandable considering a last

important aspect on which WISEs could improve in terms of technological innovation:
the employment of people with technological and scientific profiles. People with such
profiles could, on the one hand, support the integration and development of new
technologies, and on the other hand, interact with sufficient knowledge and experience
with people possessing a similar background of the other organisations, and in
307
particular with the personnel of technologically advanced companies, research centres
and universities.
The study of the personas highlights that the majority of the enablers have humanistic,
social or human sciences training and only in a few cases economic or managerial
training. Technical enablers (engineers, computer scientists, or people with high-
school-level technical education) are very rare. Among the supporters, we rarely find
‘nerdy’ elements, or people inclined to develop and experiment with their own
initiatives and tools for technological innovation. The fact that often enablers and
supporters have high levels of education and a culturally dynamic profile means that
they are confident with the personal use of technologies and they are open to the
possible introduction of technological solutions. But their profiles are hardly such as to
put them at the centre of autonomous digital innovations. Furthermore, different
profiles highlight how the people who lead the WISEs are loaded with different tasks
and responsibilities, so that the innovation front can hardly be their main investment
area. Moreover, in some cases, at the helm of the WISEs we find people of advanced
middle age and in no case ‘profiles from Silicon Valley’, or young people with a marked
propensity for innovation and high digital skills. If one wishes to intervene on these
aspects, it is clear that it is not a question of proposing training initiatives but of
thinking about organisational aspects that are today strongly characterising the WISEs.
Finally, it is important to underline that significant improvements in terms of

technologies, both to be adopted and developed, can be facilitated by public
interventions. It is no coincidence that the most developed and largest WISEs are in the
countries where the attention for these organisations has been and is highest. The
WISEs thrive in countries where their fundamental role from an ethical, civil and
economic point of view is recognised.
7.4 References
Borzaga, C. & Defourny, J. (Eds.) (2001). The Emergence of Social Enterprise, London
and New York: Routledge, pp. 350-370.
Borzaga C. & Loss M. (2006). Multiple Goals and Multi-stakeholder Management in

Italian Social Enterprises. In Nyssens, M. (Ed.), Social Enterprise. At the Crossroads of
Market, Public Policies and Civil Society, London and New York: Routledge, pp. 72-84.
308
Bosch, T. & van Rhijn, G. (2017). Snelle, flexibele en foutloze assemblage met
geprojecteerde werkinstructie (Fast, flexible and error-free assembly with projected
work instructions). Leiden: TNO Innovation for Life. Available at:
https://repository.tno.nl//islandora/object/uuid:e10517fc-22ba-40ae-a7e5-
efe2970822a1 [Accessed 22 September 2022].
Galera, G. et al. (2022). Report on trends and challenges for work integration social
enterprises (WISEs) in Europe. Current situation of skills gaps, especially in the digital
area. Brussels: B-WISE project, pp. 144-170.
Huang, Y. (2018). Effectivity of Augmented Reality for Cognitive Work Support: A

statistical Analysis. Leuven: KU Leuven.
Petrella, F. & Richez-Battesti, N. (2016). Patterns of evolutions of social enterprises in

France: a focus on work integration social enterprises, International Review of
Sociology, 26 (2), pp. 234-246.
Yeo, R. & Moore, K. (2003). Including Disabled People in Poverty Reduction Work:
Nothing About Us, Without Us, World Development, Elsevier, 31 (3), pp. 571-590.
309
8 Annex C: The
adoption and use
of technologies by
WISEs
310
7. File
3. 4.
1. Internal 2. External and 9. E-
Training Administrati 10. Assistive Technolog
Country Sector communic communic 5. ERP 6. CRM data 8. Production commer
and on and technologies ical level
ation ation storag ce
support accounting
e
Digital
technologies MEDIUM
mainly used
for the Investments in Partially
administratio new equipped
Sewing, textile Customer
n of technologies with
cleaning and document
Austria 1 E-mail protected for the technologi
ironing work ation
work automation of es that are
clothes systems
cutting good for
Administratio clothing the office,
n and old for
accounting production
software
Well
equipped
with state- HIGH
of-the-art Electronic The
Office work,
IT and time develop Well
storage, textile
software recording for ment of a equipped
Austria 2 sorting, reworking
supporters web with state-
electronic devices,
Moodle- has recently shop is of-the-art
sales, online shop
based started planned IT and
online software
learning
platform
Metalworking, Moodle Use of Data MEDIUM-

Meetings System for
woodworking, and SAP to stored HIGH
via managing
packaging/co- blended automate in the
Microsoft participants
packaging, learning time cloud Equipment
Teams in the
Austria 3 assembling/disasse recording with
implementati
mbling, paint shop, Digi-Coach , vacation Intran necessary
Use of on phase
printing/dispatchin project for approval, et for hardware,
shared
g, series further quarantin intern old
calendars
production, training e and al production
311
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
completion, quality and on digital leave sharin machine

control, office sharepoints skills, first notificatio g already
services, kitchen, for ns replaced,
laundry, operation Access to supporter innovative
of waste materials intranet for s and then digital
collection centre internal for systems,
information workers training for
sharing workers
Courses
Signal for Assistive
messenger workers technology
for on the use lacking
communicat of social
ion with networks,
workers smartpho
nes and
privacy
issues
LOW
HR360 to
document
Too little
the
hardware
attendance
available,
of workers
Production, textile, Reha-Com existing
Austria 4 wood workshop, and Fresh- hardware
New program
office activities Minder is too old,
for creating
not up to
delivery
date in the
notes and
area of
outgoing
digitalisati
invoices
on
MEDIUM
Using
Work diary in Huge
Digitising analogue Microsoft
Austria 5 Microsoft development in Up-to-date
media OneDrive
Office Access recent decades computers
for
and other
312
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
distance equipment
training , assistive
technologi
es are
outdated
Rework, reuse and

repair of washing Investmen LOW
machines, ts in e-
Production
dishwashers and learning Hardly
sector with
Austria 6 electronic cookers. but only equipped
little
Computer used by with
technology
disassembly, supporter technologi
delivery, office and s es
sales services
Attendance
registration
via DPW app
Investmen Intranet,
ts in e- administrativ
Use of learning e and MEDIUM-
Signal and documentati HIGH
Metal, wood,
e-mail for Use of on software
Austria 7 kitchen, creative
communicat Moodle used only by Well
sector
ion with supporters equipped
workers Presence with
of an IT For technology
trainer supporters,
mobile
signatures
through their
portal
Mailing, printing BMD MEDIUM

Austria 8
and construction software for
313
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
control and Up-to-date

accounting software
BOSnet
personnel
management
system
Communica HIGH
tion via
Sales software
intranet Well
Digifit (checkout Online
between equipped,
project system, billing store not
the various at the
Repair and developm and ordering yet
department height of
Austria 9 processing of used ent aiming system, available,
s market
bicycles at digital pricing, codes but in
standards
suitability with preparati
Use of a in
of WSNs warehouse on
cloud hardware
management)
phone and
system. software
MEDIUM
Digital cash Digitalisati

registers in on focuses
Provide
Second- Personnel stores on internal
Austria digital
hand/antiques administratio processes
10 skills to
shops n database App to track as well as
workers
containers by on
code providing
skills for
WSNs
Use of Only basic Well-equipped MEDIUM

Deliverie
Facebook office professional
Food and cleaning s via
Greece 1 for equipment kitchen, tablet Basic
sector online
information available (PC, for delivery equipment
platform
purposes basic requests from in
314
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
and rarely software, the online administra

for etc.) platform tive sector,
promotiona a bit more
l purposes advanced
in food
and
catering
MEDIUM-
LOW
Cleaning, catering – Only

Basic
waitering, oil technologi
technological
painting, green cal
infrastructure
Greece 2 care, carpentry, POS devices equipment
for
tailoring; canteens, necessary
administrativ
candle factory, for its
e support
farm and winery operation,
no
innovation
s
Meetings
Electronic LOW
scheduled
Social invoices and
via Skype
media spreadsheet Basic
and Zoom. Use of typical
widely used programs to technologi
Use of manual
Greece 3 Cleaning service to track es only to
Messenger cleaning
communica communicati facilitate
and Viber equipment
te with ons with internal
for
customers suppliers and communic
communicat
customers ation
ions.
E-mail and Direct and Only some

Electronic
Textile waste messaging telephone parts of the MEDIUM
Croatia invoices and
management and apps, such communica process are
1 e-banking.
production as tion. Use of still done Equipped
WhatsApp, e-mails, manually, for with
315
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
MSN and online Digitalisation the sake of job medium-

Viber platforms of accounting integration. quality
and social operations machines
networks, and (advanced
such as monitoring of technology
Facebook, the flow of is not
LinkedIn, goods and possible).
Google services. Mail,
Business, application
Instagram, s and
TikTok, Social
Zoom, networks
Google for internal
Meet communic
ation
LOW
Low-to-
Use of a
medium
Vocational school: E-mail, website,
level of
personal services, telephone which,
Use of hand digital
Croatia fine arts and communicat however, is
tools for skills
2 design, forestry, ions and not
WSNs (smartpho
textiles, messaging maintained
nes,
haberdashery apps and
application
updated
s, social
networks,
e-mail)
Equipped with HIGH

Providing services Communica
the best
in the community tion with Working time
Messaging technology Top
(psychosocial customers monitoring
Croatia and social and the latest technology
support, help at via e-mail system linked
3 networking machines to and latest
home, economic and the to the payroll
app work in all machines
consulting, Zoom system
business for work in
financial platform.
segments and the textile
316
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
management), However, production industry,

organic cultivation insufficient processes haberdash
investment ery and
in wood
marketing: industry
there is no
strategy
HIGH
Well-
Latest-
equipped
generation
technologi
kitchen
es for
appliances
Messaging working in
Website and
apps, such the
Bulgaria and machinery
Bistro as kitchen,
1 Facebook
WhatsApp webpage,
page HD screens
and Viber social
where
networks
customers can
and
view the menu
application
and choose
for internal
communic
ation
LOW
Intends to
Children’s Website Website
Bulgaria purchase new Internet
educational games: and social also used
2 3D printing platforms
handicraft items media for sales
software and social
media
Information Digitalisation MEDIUM

campaign of the
Bulgaria Manufacture of
through production Well-
3 chocolate products
relations process in equipped
with the recent years website
317
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
main and social

Bulgarian media
media and
newspapers
Website
and
Facebook
page
MEDIUM-
HIGH
Frontrunn
er in
technology
. Assistive
technologi
es,
Particular optimisatio
Digital work
attention to n of
instructions
assistive administra
Attendance through
Woodworking, Process technologies tive
registration Augmented
Belgium metalworking, optimisati that help WSNs processes,
via an easy- Reality light
1 assembly and on via to carry out digital
to-use badge guides,
services SAP more complex work
system robotisation
tasks and that instruction
through
help them meet through
cobots
deadlines Lightguide
Augmente
d Reality,
robotisatio
n through
collaborati
ve robots,
time
registratio
n easy-to-
318
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
use badge
system
MEDIUM-
LOW
Open to
Textiles, e- investing
commerce, in new
assembly, technologi
It is considering
recycling, es such as
Belgium investing in
packaging, in- assistive
2 assistive
company services, technologi
technologies
finishing of printed es after
material and knowing
woodworking the
outcome
of the
strategic
analysis
MEDIUM-
LOW
Open to
new
Has started
technologi
Logistics, investing in
es. Has
Belgium packaging, mailing, assistive
taken the
3 digital services and technologies on
first step
green maintenance the work
towards
surface
more
assistive
technologi
es on the
workfloor
319
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
MEDIUM-
LOW
Has invested in Invested in

Sewing workshop, assistive assistive
green technologies to technology
Belgium
maintenance, ensure the to
4
ironing service, work guarantee
local shop, bar integration of the work
its target group integration
of its
target
group
LOW
There is a
large gap
between
the level of
digitalisati
on of the
Reuse centres,
WISEs and
catering services,
of the
green No significant
companies
Belgium maintenance, steps have
in the
5 cleaning services, been taken to
regular
ironing services, date
economy.
energy scans,
No
creative workshops
significant
steps
concerning
assistive
technologi
es and
other
digitalisati
320
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
on
processes
Used by
supporter MEDIUM
s to
record The
and share digitalisati
informati There are still on-
on several technology
related to manual level is
Spain 1 Industrial laundry
the processes that medium;
support could be the
processes automated manageme
carried nt
out with processes
each of are
the digitalised
workers
MEDIUM
In hotel,
restaurants
The
It does not and catering
digitalisati
have a Managem sector, use of
on-
marketing ent tablets to take
technology
Restaurants, plan and processes orders
Spain 2 level is
catering, food website but digitised
medium;
uses that of through Food-
manageme
the parent ERP traceability
nt
cooperative software is
processes
being
are
developed
digitalised
Working Digital Team of

MEDIUM-
on the signatures in engineers to
Spain 3 Packaging HIGH
developm all develop
ent of a procedures technological
321
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
digital adaptations of In addition

training Paper is all workstations to having
platform being for people with digitised
linked to eliminated disabilities who services
Microsoft for all require it and
Office 365 management (digital production
tools processes monitoring/eval processes,
uation of it is
integration committed
results, voice to
recognition developing
software, etc.) technologi
cal
adaptation
s of all
workstatio
ns for
person
with
disabilities
MEDIUM
Manageme
Runs nt
several Develope processes
E-
social d by an are
commerc
accounts external digitalised.
Messaging Experimenting e
and has its supplier Workers
apps, with a window functions
Spain 4 Cleaning services own and then have
especially cleaning require
website, adapted smartphon
WhatsApp. drone more
which to the es
develop
needs needs of provided
ment
improveme WISE by the
nt WISE. The
WISE
manages
several
322
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
social
media
accounts
and has a
website
Social
media
manageme
nt and LOW
PDA to take
digital
orders
marketing The WISE
strategy are Payment does not
Restaurants, It is planned
Spain 5 outsourced. management have a
catering, food to introduce
WISE does software website,
new
not have its the Wi-Fi
machinery in
own connection
the kitchen
website but is poor
uses that of
the parent
cooperative
MEDIUM
The IT Manageme
department nt
ERP
is working on processes
analyses
a tool to are
are
manage digitalised.
ongoing
Spain 6 Cleaning services inbound/out The IT
due to
bound departmen
identified
workers, t is
shortcom
hours, working on
ings
vacation a tool for
periods, etc. cleaning
and
communit
323
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
y care
service
At the
executive
or
managem
ent level, MEDIUM-
The cleaning
it has a HIGH
department
cloud-
uses cloud-
based Cloud-
based
business based
software to
intelligen business
manage its
ce intelligenc
activities, such
service, e service,
as monitoring
which cloud-
incidents and
Use of apps provides based
All workers resolution
for data for software
use a time times, issuing
Spain 7 Cleaning services exchanging strategic to manage
and work orders
company decision- the
attendance and
information making cleaning
app notifications
by departmen
and assigning
enablers t. All
and
through a workers
scheduling
desktop use apps.
work. A
interface. An
workload
There is a articulated
redistribution
tool to bed is
program is
monitor being
also used
the tested
consumpt
ion of
supplies
During the They will

Slovenia They have no LOW
Graphic design lockdown invest in
1 plans to invest
they held graphic design
324
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
virtual programs in this type of No plans

lessons (e.g., CAD) technology to invest in
tech
adapted
for people
with
disabilities
LOW
Repurposing and
activities necessary
Slovenia Basic level
for repurposing Gmail
2 (use of
objects (recycling
Excel and
plastic)
Gmail)
LOW
Basic level.
They plan
Would like
to use
Slovenia Washing and to use
Gmail online
3 ironing services digital
courses in
technologi
the future
es but
does not
have funds
Landscaping and
maintenance of
green areas, They LOW
arranging conducted
cemeteries, online VASCO for Basic level.
Slovenia individual lectures accounting, Do not see
Gmail
4 maintenance work on Excel for the benefit
and cleaning security scheduling of
facilities, additional and ISO digitalisati
subcontracting standards on
work for
companies
325
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
VASCO:
central
LOW
system for
Slovenia Gmail and keeping track
Accessible tourism Technologi
5 Zoom of people, for
cally fairly
entering and
advanced
transferring
data, etc.
LOW
Use of basic
tools (e.g.
Computers
computer,
Environmental , basic
GPS, radio)
Slovenia management, landscapin
6 cleaning of g
The purchase
businesses, sports equipment
of motorised
, cars, GPS
equipment is
and radio
foreseen
stations
LOW
Does not
need a lot
of
Sewing, interior
technology
decoration,
Slovenia :
product assembly Gmail
7 computers
and restoring
,
furniture
calculators
, Excel,
Gmail,
sewing
equipment
WhatsApp Website There is a Each worker The workers

Selective waste HIGH
Italy 1 groups with and social computer has their own assigned to
collection,
all workers network engineer profile on an environmental
326
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
cemetery in which (Facebook, for the internal hygiene Significant

management operational LinkedIn, digital platform, on services are use of
service Instagram, literacy of which equipped with technology
indications YouTube) to workers payslips, CUs smartphones for
are sent, make the and other and a reader production
operational company documents with which to cycle and
criticalities visible in its are loaded mark buckets manageme
are shared area and to and bins for nt
and search for Management separate functions.
resolved, personnel software for waste High
etc. the collection, investment
organisation once emptied s, quality
of services, certificatio
which ns
communicate
s with the
payroll
system
Traditional
websites,
social MEDIUM-
Digitalisation
networks LOW
of ordinary
and
administrativ
platforms Limited
e activities
Catering and food dedicated use of
(accounting,
Italy 2 service in events to technology
payroll, work
sector commercial . Attention
shift
activities, to digital
management
catering communic
, attendance,
(Google, ation
etc.)
TripAdvisor, aspects
etc.) and
fundraising
Intention Management Cases with

MEDIUM
Italy 3 Restaurant to software for icons that
develop a orders and facilitate the
327
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
software boxes with use of Medium

for icons that technology use of
warehous facilitate the even by technologi
e use of children with es, in order
managem technology disabilities to train
ent, even by WSNs
because children with
the disabilities
managem
ent Kitchen
systems programs are
on the also used (e.g.,
market for vacuum
are not packing)
very
accessible
for
workers
Current LOW
Assembly and
production
packaging,
processes do Low-level
Italy 4 filmmaking and
not require use of
many other
digital technologi
activities
technologies es
The use of
digital MEDIUM
technologies
Use of for productive
Agriculture, accounting Use of uses is Normal
Use of Use of
tourism, recycling, and managem intentionally use of
Italy 5 social social
craft activities, personnel ent limited in technologi
networks networks
cleaning management software order to es in
programs numerically manageme
increase the nt, choice
need for to use few
manpower technologi
328
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
es in
However, it is production
attentive to so as not
the to limit the
development work of
of WSNs
technologies
and also
participates in
experimental
projects, for
example with
the Faculty of
Agriculture,
for the
development
of robotics
and artificial
intelligence in
agriculture
A literacy Period:
programm management
MEDIUM-
e on basic that records
HIGH
Gardening, technolog the balance
cemetery y is of workers’
Good use
management, Use of e- underway, activities. The
Work is of
selective waste mails, with software is Sharin
underway technology
collection. WhatsApp internal being g files
to in offices,
Italy 6 This WISE merged groups and training transposed on
develop normal in
with a social file sharing courses to an app to OneDr
new the
enterprise on make it ive
software production
operating in the OneDrive Presence easier to use
sector.
welfare field, today of an IT
Digital
it is in its sector consultan Altamira:
counter for
cy desk staff
WSNs
for digital management
literacy software
329
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
and
technologi Pulse: for
cal personnel
support. attendance
The desk and payslip
also gives display
advice on
technologi Dylog: for
es for personnel
everyday administratio
life (e.g., n
SPID)
Sales are
mostly
done
through
an online
store
In e-
MEDIUM-
commerc
HIGH
Four different e they
printers, use
Online
Latvia 1 textiles professional many
store.
printing, paid
Important
sticker printer services,
productive
such as
technology
an online
chatbot,
Google
Drive,
Canva,
Chatra,
Isolta,
etc.
330
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
MEDIUM
Kitchen
equipped with
Latvia 2 Cooking industry Normal for
professional
sector of
technologies
activity
MEDIUM-
HIGH
Workers use
All workers
computers, Quite high,
Call centre for use CRM
telecommunic all of the
Latvia 3 private companies. systems
ations and call call centre
Social telephony for daily
centre workers
operations
programs are
working
digitally
MEDIUM-
Equipped with HIGH
various
Sells goods created technologies, Online
in a workshop that such as a shop and
Selling
works as a social printing workshop
Latvia 4 products
service, managed machine, equipment
online
by a linked stamp-making . Ready to
organisation machine, learn
sewing about new
machines technologi
es
Sells paper and MEDIUM

packaging, Use of some Selling
Latvia 5 produced in technologies products Medium
cooperation with in production online technology
social care services use
331
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
Use of
MEDIUM-
technologies
Cloud HIGH
Website for
service
and social administratio
s for e- Prominent
networks, n. New
Social mail, use of
Netherla Recycling, urban such as system for
networks softwa technology
nds 1 mining, upcycling Facebook, human
and e-mails re and , both in
LinkedIn resources
data production
and information
storag and in
Instagram management
e administra
tion
Online billing
Language
computers that
convert spoken
language into a
readable
format (speech
recognition) for
Use of
Presence people with
technologies
Website of an Cloud hearing HIGH
for
and social internal IT service problems
administratio
Social networks, departme s for e- Very high
n IoT used for
networks, e- such as nt for mail, HoloLens to level of
Netherla thermostats,
mails, Facebook, training softwa provide digitalisati
nds 2 Online billing lamps and
virtual LinkedIn, (especially re and cognitive on. Digital
meters
meetings Instagram on data support to counselling
Digital
and privacy) storag employees for
worker
YouTube and e workers
monitoring
support It is testing the
system
use of VR
glasses that
illuminate
where
something
needs to be
mounted
332
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
Testing of an
intelligent
projector for
displaying
manufacturing
instructions
Tablet to plan
E-learning online routes
platform and delivery
where and collection
Use of In the back
everyone times
technologies office, all
has their
Website for customer Cloud
own Automated
and social administratio contacts service
learning book-pricing HIGH
Network of 30 networks, n are s for e-
environm system
second-hand E-mail and such as centralised mail,
Netherla ent based High level
shops. Aim to grow social Facebook, Online billing and softwa
nds 3 on their Digitised of
to 50 shops in a networks LinkedIn, digitised re and
functions clothing sector digitalisati
few years Instagram, Workers can data
and needs Automated on
Twitter and access their Store storag
cash register
YouTube payslips and customer e
Presence that also
time sheets. tracking
of an records the
system
internal IT best-selling
departme items and the
nt average price
customers pay
Website Cloud Geolocation of Online HIGH

Use of
and social service devices and sales and
technologies
networks, Customer s for e- moving online High level
for
E-mail and such as service mail, objects business of
Netherla administratio
Cleaning services social Facebook, managem softwa manage digitalisati
nds 4 n
networks LinkedIn, ent re and Machines ment on. Issue
Instagram software data have software about
Online billing
and storag interfaces to (sales WSNs’ use
YouTube e track their and of
333
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
usage, which customer digitalisati

Use of big is monitored service) on
data to in an
generate application
information
from social Use of
media cleaning
robots
The data
traffic of the
cars is also
regulated in
this way,
collecting data
on driving
speed and
emissions
Digital control
box for
notifications
and orders
The MEDIUM-
Internal IT
digitalisation HIGH
departme
of production Language
Website nt for Cloud
Use of processes is computers that High level
and social support service
technologies seen as a convert spoken of
E-mail, networks, s for e-
for threat to language into a digitalisati
social such as Staff mail,
Netherla Gardening, administratio employment readable on in office
networks Facebook, receive softwa
nds 5 cleaning services n format (speech works,
and LinkedIn, profession re and
In warehouses recognition) for medium-
teleworking Instagram, al training data
Online billing and at the people with high level
Twitter and on how to storag
production hearing in
YouTube use e
site, IoT is problems production
technologi
used for . Issue
cally
thermostats, about
334
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
advanced lamps and WSNs' use

cars meters. IoT is of
also used to digitalisati
monitor the on
movement of
vehicles or
products
Most of the
cars used are
electric
Website Cloud
and social service
HIGH
networks, HubSpot s for e-
Online billing
E-mail and such as to manage mail,
Netherla Cleaning services High level
social Facebook, sales and softwa
nds 6 (windows) Task of
networks LinkedIn, customer re and
management digitalisati
Instagram service data
via Trello on
and storag
YouTube e
HIGH
Wants to iPad to plan Aims to

High level
Peer-to- insert the route, further
of
Netherla Recycling, reuse, peer digital estimate the digitise in
digitalisati
nds 7 shops learning customer number of the field
on. Further
method tracking products and of online
digitalisati
method plan the work sales
on in a few
years
Use of Cloud
technologies service Intends
Recycling and WhatsApp
Netherla for s for e- to invest
circular economy groups, e- MEDIUM
nds 8 administratio mail, in a web
industry mails
n softwa shop
re and
335
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
Online billing data

storag
Digital payroll e
application
implemented
MEDIUM-
HIGH
Invested
around
Good level
€20,000 in
Romania Fast food, textile of
computer and
1 sewing workshop technology
production
,
equipment
partnershi
and a van
p with
other
countries
Social Advanced HIGH

network It does not technologies
(Facebook have an in barn Comparabl
Investments in
WhatsApp and internal cleaning, feed e to those
All machines that
groups and Instagram) platform for preparation of non-
employee make work
Romania Second-hand telephone and website employees and milking WISE
s receive easier and help
2 shops communicat because not companies
initial workers
ions Promotiona everyone Restaurant operating
training perform their
l videos would be equipped with in the
tasks
have been able to specific same
made on manage it technologies business
YouTube for the sector sector
WhatsApp MEDIUM
Reuse of waste Social Google
groups and
from electrical and network Drive
Romania file sharing Comparabl
electronic (Facebook for file
3 via Google e to those
equipment. Social and storag
Drive. Zoom of non-
farm Instagram) e and
is also used WISE
336
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
sharin companies
g operating
in the
same
business
sector
MEDIUM
Comparabl
e to those
Bakery. WISE was Financial and of non-
Romania created by a office WISE
4 welfare software companies
organisation programs operating
in the
same
business
sector
MEDIUM
Comparabl
e to those
Accommodation
of non-
services in a hostel. Technologies
Romania WISE
WISE was created used in
5 companies
by a welfare production
operating
organisation
in the
same
business
sector
LOW
Archiving, tailoring, Basic
Online
Romania typography, technologies,
booking Base level
6 manufacturing e.g., smart
system of
products, locks
technology
337
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
roasting,
recruitment and
placement of
people with
disabilities/occupat
ional safety
services
HIGH
Good level
of
Social
The premium technologi
network,
roaster is es, ‘the
articles and
equipped with challenge
website Electro
automated is to find a
nic
Romania Kindergarten – and balance
Presence of archivi
7 nursery school programmabl between
a ng
e equipment digital
department service
managed by technology
specialised
support what can
in online
operators be done
marketing
manually
by workers
with
disabilities’
Facebook,
Instagram
and
Gmail,
website, the
Romania WhatsApp
Catering contents of
8 and google
which are
suite
designed
through
Canva
338
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
Two
MEDIUM-
computer
HIGH
Sewing, textile programs for Kitchen
Romania cleaning and the equipped with
Good level
9 ironing work administratio technological
of
clothes n, but used tools
technologi
only by the
es
manager
Training
MEDIUM-
courses to
LOW
introduce,
for
Use of digital Most of the Medium
example,
Catering and programs for work is still digitalisati
Poland 1 the elderly
gardening administratio done on in office
to the use
n manually work. Low
of mobile
digitalisati
phones or
on in
computer
production
s
Website
Low use of
and social
Groups on technology in
Poland 2 Catering network, LOW
Messenger production
especially
activities
Facebook
MEDIUM-
LOW
Low use of Medium

Catering,
Digitised technology in digitalisati
Poland 3 gardening and
office work production on in office
cleaning
activities work. Low
digitalisati
on in
production
339
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
Use of
URAI
software
for
training
Three
annual
training
courses
for all
employee
Online LOW
s: Application for
software to
HSCCP, orders in
monitor The use of
Snacking, student
employees digital
France 1 Restaurant E-mail theatre/so canteens
remains
ft skills
MING for limited for
(hospitalit Digital cash
career the
y, register
tracking moment
customer
relations,
recruiter,
conflict,
role-
playing,
link
building:
very
positive
result on
teams)
Impleme LOW
Training
nting an
Cleaning and courses
ERP with The leader
France 2 Environmental for
a logistics declares
services employee
optimisati that the
s
on positioning
340
7. File
3. 4.
support accounting
e
applicatio of his
n, linked company
to HRIS, is rather
which will on the ‘low
provide tech’ end
more of the
detailed spectrum
knowledg but
e of the identifies
business an
important
shift
towards
digital
technology
Online
Training
bulletin
courses
board, which
dedicated
allows all
to
Environmental supervisors
France 3 learning LOW
services who meet the
digital
same
tools for
employee to
employee
record their
s
feedback
Organisati
on of Use of
Website,
various Black
Facebook
Reuse of electronic workshop Market
France 4 and after- LOW
devices s and and Le
sales
internal bon
service
training coins
courses
341
This publication has been co-funded by the European Commission. The European
Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an
endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the
Agency and Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of
the information contained therein.
Gianfranco Marocchi et al. (2022), Report understanding user (digital) skill needs in WISEs
https://www.bwiseproject.eu
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Report

Grant agreement n° 621509-EPP-1-2020-1-BE-EPPKA2-SSA-B

• Lieven Bossuyt – Lichtwerk

Grant Agreement: 621509-EPP-1-2020-1-BE-EPPKA2-SSA-B

For more information, visit: https://www.bwiseproject.eu.

This report should be cited as follow:

Grant Agreement: 621509-EPP-1-2020-1-BE-EPPKA2-SSA-B

Grant Agreement: 621509-EPP-1-2020-1-BE-EPPKA2-SSA-B

1 THE WORKING METHOD .............................................................................. 16

2 T2.1 SCENARIOS: TYPES OF WISES .............................................................. 29

2.3 The outcomes ....................................................................................................................... 68

2.4 SWOT analysis: a transversal reading ............................................................................. 87

3 T2.2 – PERSONAS: WHO WORKS IN THE WISES .......................................115

Grant Agreement: 621509-EPP-1-2020-1-BE-EPPKA2-SSA-B

3.2 Supporters........................................................................................................................... 137

3.3 Workers with Support Needs .......................................................................................... 149

3.4 Additional profile for staff members ............................................................................. 169

4 COUNTRY REPORTS ......................................................................................171

4.2 Belgium ................................................................................................................................ 177

4.3 Bulgaria ................................................................................................................................ 182

4.4 Croatia .................................................................................................................................. 185

4.5 France ................................................................................................................................... 190

4.6 Greece .................................................................................................................................. 192

4.7 Italy........................................................................................................................................ 196

4.8 Latvia .................................................................................................................................... 200

4.10 Poland ................................................................................................................................ 209

4.11 Romania............................................................................................................................. 211

4.12 Slovenia.............................................................................................................................. 215

4.13 Spain ................................................................................................................................... 219

5.2 Guidelines for WP3 (and policies) .................................................................................. 243

6 Annex A: Case studies: summary table .....................................................250

7 Annex B: Report on the adoption and use of technologies by WISEs* 274

7.3 Conclusions and future developments ......................................................................... 306

8 Annex C: The adoption and use of technologies by WISEs ....................310

Figure 1 – Perimeter of WISEs ................................................................................................. 32

Table 1 – Acronyms ................................................................................................................... 26

Grant Agreement: 621509-EPP-1-2020-1-BE-EPPKA2-SSA-B

Grant Agreement: 621509-EPP-1-2020-1-BE-EPPKA2-SSA-B

● WP1 Research. State of Art

This report collects and summarises the outcomes of WP2.

Following from this, in order to be effective, the definition of competence-building

How this report is organised

1.1 The basic choices

Grant Agreement: 621509-EPP-1-2020-1-BE-EPPKA2-SSA-B

Besides the methodological aspects outlined above, the complementarity between

● with respect to the categorisation of WISEs (scenarios), there was sufficient

On the basis of the above, it was therefore decided to:

1) elaborate an initial version of the typification of WISEs (Scenarios) on the basis of

1.2 The phases of WP2

1.2.1 Step 1 – Definition of working hypotheses

1.2.2 Step 2 – Validation of Phase 1 hypotheses

All these are attached to this document (Annex 3).

1.2.4 Step 4 – Case studies

Case studies include:

For each of these aspects, guides were provided to the interviewer.

1.2.5 Step 5 – In-depth study on technology and digitalisation

1.2.6 Step 6 – Provisional drafting of the report

This report was presented on 13 September in a meeting involving the entire

1.2.8 Step 8 – Delivery and presentation of deliverables

SÖB Socio-economic enterprise

KoiSEn Social cooperative of inclusion

Italy B-type social cooperatives